Patience is a Virtue
by LouBlue
Summary: EJami fic. A hopefully romantic, angsty & funny picking up just after the immigration interview. Lucas is in jail & EJami are living together in the mansion with John & Marlena. Can EJ finally break through Sami's walls & get her to admit to her feelings?
1. Chapter 1

**AUTHOR'S NOTE****: **Hello all – thanks for joining me in this little tale of love and redemption.

I wrote this story just after the immigration interview that Sami and EJ had when they were still married and living in the DiMera mansion with John, Marlena and Rolf plus the twins of course. I was unhappy with how it all ultimately played out and I fear seeing what they have done to EJami nowadays on the show that the writers have no real understanding about what was at the heart of EJami. So I set about rectifying that and giving them a story they deserved in my own humble way. I feel like EJami has such range – they can do passion, fighting, romance, humour and so many other things very, very well. I loved the scenario they set up at the DiMera mansion at the time and in particular the possibilities of Robbo John or nu-John as he is known by some.

There was so much potential in having an amnesiac assassin wandering the hallways of the DiMera mansion who still had a thing for his Blondie and a relationship to explore with his newly acquired nephew that I just felt the need to go there. LOL They could have made so much more of John then they did in the end and that is really sad. But then that can be said of all the characters on Days nowadays as character driven stories go by the way side to make for plot driven ones. 

It's a horrible way to tell a story and I can promise you that what happens in my stories will always remain secondary to the characters themselves. I'm intent on telling you the story of EJ and Sami themselves and not a series of events involving them. I have to love and know the characters I'm writing about and hopefully I can make you invest in my understanding of them as well. That way a good time will be had by all! ;)

So without further ado I give you "Patience is a Virtue..." the first in a series of romantic comedy instalments about EJ and Sami. I do hope you have a little fun with it...

**PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE****...**

**Chapter ONE**

EJ looked up from his lap top and stared at the ceiling above him as more scrapping and thumping noises drifted down to him. He tilted his head to one side and wondered yet again what it was that Samantha was doing up there to be making so much noise. It had been a rough day for them both what with the final interview with Mr Burke and then the drama between Sami and Nicole. It had taken him a long time to calm Sami down and get her to stop crying - all in all they'd had easier days. After coming home, having dinner and getting the twins fed, bathed and to sleep Sami had disappeared upstairs for the last hour and a half and he'd immersed himself in doing some reading for Nicole's case. It was a distraction he was happy to have rather than think about the possibility of being deported.

The noises coming from above had broken his concentration yet again and he couldn't help his mind wandering to what decision Mr Burke was going to make about his visa status. He'd been hard to read and usually EJ was very good at being able to get a bead on what people were thinking but not this time. He'd been honest with the man about needing to be here for his family over everything else and Samantha had certainly brought her A game to the table just like she'd promised. So much so it had been hard to remember that she was lying when she'd said that loved him. For so long now he'd been desperate to hear those words from her lips, in fact he felt liked he'd been born waiting to hear Samantha tell him that she loved him. Even knowing that it was a lie changed nothing for him and it was all he could do to not let himself fall into that fantasy yet again.

It was a lie but what a sweet lie it was. EJ had resigned himself to the fact that he would only ever have crumbs from Samantha because of what he had done to her but he'd take what he could get because walking away from her simply wasn't an option - never had been despite his father's plans. If only he knew then what he did now, how different things could have been between he and Samantha. Bitter regret made his stomach clench painfully but there was nothing to be done about it now. He'd done what he'd done, however misguided his loyalties and understandings of things had been, it was no excuse and now he'd have to lie in the bed he'd made with his own hands… alone.

EJ gave an angry shake of his head, mad at himself for allowing the self pity to set in. He may have ruined any chance of ever being with the woman he loved but his son was a different matter. He was determined no matter what to be there for Johnny and, if Sami would let him, Ali too. They were his highest priority and he'd do what he had to make sure that happened. Even if that meant entrusting his fate over to in-laws who up until very recently had wanted him in prison or dead, a money hungry divorcee-to-be with very little moral fibre that he could see and an Uncle who at best could be called a wild card.

"So what do you think she's doing up there anyway?"

EJ's head snapped down as he was still staring up at the ceiling as he thought his dark thoughts, more noises continued to rain down from above to see the 'wild card' looking at him expectantly.

"I'm not sure Uncle," said EJ smoothly and then with a little quirk of the lips, "But it sounds like she's auditioning for the stage version of the dance scene in Fantasia."

"What's that?" asked John with a blank look.

He had a lot of blank looks EJ had come to realise and they all meant different things, you just had to get used to them and after sharing a roof for the last month EJ was beginning to become familiar with them.

"Sorry," he apologised, forgetting for a moment his Uncle's amnesia, "It's a Disney cartoon where three hippopotami dance around in tutu's to Swan Lake."

"That sounds…" John paused then, seeming to sift through his vocabulary to find the right word, "… bizarre."

"I guess it is," agreed EJ, a little surprised, "I've never really thought about it before."

"So this Disney character - crazy right?" asked John flatly.

"Well he did have his body frozen so that he could be brought back to life, when they worked out the technology in the future," pondered EJ, "So I suppose you could argue his grasp on reality wasn't as tight as one might have hoped."

"You have a problem with people being brought back from the dead?" asked John, tilting his head to one side but otherwise giving nothing else away.

In anyone else the question might have been considered ironic considering the circumstances but EJ had the feeling that his Uncle just really wanted to know.

"Well it is a little…" this time it was EJ's turn to search for the right adjective, "… confronting… for some people that is."

"Hmm," said John, his face still characteristically offering no clue as to what he was thinking.

John walked over to the sofa opposite where EJ was working and put down the plate which contained a half eaten sandwich.

"Rolf made me supper," he announced.

"Oh," said EJ, unsure what else he was meant to add to that.

"It tastes funny," said John flatly.

"Funny how?" asked EJ in confusion.

"Tastes like blue," said John.

"Blue?" repeated EJ blankly, "Your sandwich tastes like blue?"

"Yeah," said John, picking up the half without a bite out of it, "Try some."

"Ah no thanks," said EJ with a bemused shake of his head, "I had blue for lunch."

John gave a blink and then another, no emotion registering on his face at EJ's reply. The moment was broken when a loud thump came from upstairs and they both looked up.

"She's your wife," he said emotionlessly, "You deal with it. I've got my own problems with Blondie to worry about."

EJ gave a little grimace and with a silent inclination of his head stood up and excused himself to go and check on what it was exactly Sami was doing in her room. As he climbed the stairs EJ tried not to obsess over the fact that he'd entrusted his future, in part at least anyway, to a man who thought his food tasted of blue!


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter TWO**

EJ turned left at the top of the stairs and headed towards Sami's bedroom, the noises have finally stopped for a moment. Despite himself EJ was curious to see what it was that Sami had been doing to make such a din. The door to her room was ajar so he for went his usual knock and walked in, the question on his lips but it stayed there because all ability to speak was temporarily stolen from him at the sight that met his eyes.

Sami was on her knees, head stuck under the bed with her very shapely backside stuck up in the air, facing him as it were.

_God give him strength…_

She was wearing a white singlet and boy leg black pants, obviously getting ready for bed. EJ blinked rapidly a few times and tried to reel his wayward thoughts in and get his heart rate back to an acceptable pace. He didn't need this on top of everything else! It took a lot of energy on his behalf to keep himself reigned in about that particular aspect of their relationship and walking in on scenes like this didn't make his self imposed task any easier. He took a couple of deep breaths and attempted to recover the power of speech.

"Samantha?" he said and was proud of how calm he sounded, "What are you looking for?"

Sami poked her head out from under the bed before going back under.

"Nothing," came her muffled reply.

"Oh," said EJ ironically, "Well good luck with finding that then."

EJ stuck his hands in his pockets and walked into the room with what he hoped was a casual air but it was a wasted effort really seeing as she still had her head under the bed. On the upside though that meant her lovely derrière was still being presented to him and despite all of his best intentions EJ stared at it shamelessly, enjoying being able to enjoy her loveliness openly and with no apologies. Some higher functioning part of his brain that wasn't engaged in the unabashed ogling of Samantha's butt warned him that she was going to realise what he was doing if he didn't distract her.

"Although some might argue that if it is nothing," he continued on blithely, not having even blinked yet as he enjoyed the vision in front of him way too much for his own good, "Then you've already found it."

"What?" asked Sami in annoyance and much to EJ's disappointment crawling out from under the bed and standing up to face him.

_And no bra either… excellent… she was trying to kill him… good to know!_

EJ's jaw clenched as he determinedly looked her in the eye and tried not to let himself notice her lack of undergarments. This had been a bad idea, he should just go before he did something stupid, right now, this very instance… okay, leaving right… _now_!

EJ took another step into the room, no longer seemingly capable of free will.

"Nothing," he repeated, his voice croaky as he went to explain and try to distract himself from what it was he was trying not to think about, "If you're looking for nothing I'd say you already found it."

"What do you want EJ?" she asked him in aggravation, "I'm busy."

_Right, that's right - the noises - that was why he'd come up here, now he remembered._

"Actually I was just wondering… OWWWW!"

EJ had begun to walk from just inside the doorway of her bed room to get to where she was standing in all her non-undergarment wearing glory when as he walked through the decorative little archway that was there his head connected with something hard. He staggered back a little, having no idea what he'd just hit and pressed a hand to his forehead and grimaced at the sharp pain. He was tall but he'd never had to duck to enter a room in this house before. Rubbing his wounded head he looked to see what he'd run into and it took a couple of seconds for him to focus on the offending object.

"Samantha?" he quizzed her in amazement, "You have a chin up bar in your doorway!"

"So," she shrugged at him almost defiantly.

"Why?" he asked her with a bemused look.

"To do chin ups on," she stated the obvious.

"_You_ have a chin up bar?" he repeated in bewilderment.

"Technically it's Wills'," she conceded, "But he didn't take it to Switzerland with him so I thought I'd make use of it. I need to work on building up my upper body."

"Trust me your upper body doesn't need any work," muttered EJ, giving his head a final rub and dropping his hand to his side.

"What did you say?" asked Sami suspiciously, not quite catching that.

"I said - I guess that's were having a teenage son must be a perk," said EJ more loudly, covering for his slip and blaming the blow to his head for his loose lips, "Being able to use his stuff I mean."

"Mm," said Sami, not completely convinced he was telling her the truth about what he'd said but letting it go.

"Samantha," said EJ, trying again to enter the room properly, this time very carefully ducking his head to get by the bar as he did, "What have you been doing up here all night?"

But then EJ managed to tear his eyes off Sami and look around the room and had his answer without her having to say anything. Every piece of furniture seemed to have been moved from where he'd last seen it and he looked at the now completely rearranged room and then back at Sami.

"You've been moving furniture around?" he said bemusedly, "Why?"

"I just felt like it okay?" she said with a challenging look, "So what?"

"So what?" he repeated, walking in and surveying the transformation in wonder, "Samantha, you've moved everything, the bed, the table and chair, the armoire."

EJ stopped then and realised what he'd said.

"_How_ exactly did you move the armoire anyway?" he asked in amazement, "It's got to weigh at least twice what you do!"

"I had a bit of pent up energy from today so I thought I'd do something productive with it," she shrugged.

"But the armoire!" he exclaimed, "Seriously Samantha, I don't know if _I_ could even move it unaided!"

That might have been a slight exaggeration but it didn't take away from her achievement any.

"So this is what you've been doing all night then?" he asked her in confusion, "Redecorating?"

"And?" she said tersely, "What of it?"

"Nothing," he said dazedly, "But I would like to say if we could harness this pent up energy of yours we'd have the answer to the energy crisis. So what was it exactly that you were looking for when I came in again and don't say nothing please."

There was a long pause and EJ wasn't sure if she was going to answer him.

"When I was moving things my wedding ring came off and rolled somewhere," she told him finally.

EJ considered that for a moment and then despite the voice in his head had to ask.

"His or mine?" he asked flatly.

Sami bit her lip and looked away, finding it hard to maintain eye contact with him looking at her so intently.

"Right," said EJ stoically when she didn't reply, "His, of course - you wouldn't go looking for mine now would you sweetheart?"

It was hard to comprehend but he managed to make the endearment sound both bitter and engaging at the same time but that was this man for you, nothing but a mass of confusing contradictions. Normally Sami would have found it easy to agree and throw her love for Lucas in his face, she'd been doing it for long enough after all but not today. Today had been long and emotional and more than that, she was scared. Scared that she'd ruined any chance EJ might have to stay in the country, scared she'd robbed yet another child of hers of having a relationship with their father and scared of how the thought of him being gone from her life made her feel.

For so long now Sami had been telling anyone who'd listen that it was all that she wanted was EJ out of her life and now the moment might finally be here and she felt none of the things she thought she would. For nearly two years this man had been an intense part of her life - not always in a good way but too, not always in a bad way either. She'd been determinedly suppressing all of the good times they'd had together ever since finding out that he was a DiMera and just using her but now it was suddenly all she could think of.

Sami didn't want to care about this man and when he'd been doing all those horrible things to her and everyone she loved it had been easy to convince herself that she didn't. There had been a grim satisfaction in rehearsing all his evil deeds to herself daily, reminding herself why it was she had to despise him and it had worked, up unto a point. Despite everything she'd never been totally able to bring herself to get him out of her life once and for all. She'd had opportunities, things that no one would have blamed her for. Like when Andre had forced her to chose between Lucas and EJ, made her chose who lived and died. No one would have blamed her for shooting EJ to protect her life and the life of her then unborn twins. Or when he was electrocuted, she didn't have to give him mouth to mouth - no one would have known but she had.

How much simpler her life would have been if she'd just let him die but she hadn't. Sami tried to tell herself it was because she wasn't a murderer but it wasn't that simple. Nothing was ever that simple when it came down to her and EJ.

"Well I'll leave you to your search," said EJ, his voice hard now, "Sorry to have disturbed you."

EJ turned on his heel and stalked out of the room but didn't get very far as in his agitation he forgot about the chin up bar again.

"SON OF A… !"

EJ bit back the expletive as he reeled back from the blow to his head.

Sami flinched in empathy at the sound of his head hitting the metal bar. She watched as EJ doubled over and grabbed his forehead with both hands.

"Are you alright?" she asked him hesitantly when he didn't make a sound for a long time.

"That… _thing_," he said finally, straightening up and giving the bar a dark look, one hand still pressed to his new wound, "… is a public nuisance. You need to put it higher up."

"But if I put it higher up I won't be able to reach it," she protested reasonably, "Can't you just look where you're going instead?"

"The mounting evidence would seem to suggest that I can't!" he snapped, taking his pain and frustration out on her… as well as the pain from his wound.

Being reminded yet again that her heart belonged to the man who'd put a bullet in his back was not something he needed to hear again. The throbbing in his head was nothing compared to the ache in his soul at knowing he could never have the woman he loved, love him back.

"Is it bleeding?" he grimaced as he asked the question, pulling back his hand and squinting at it to see if there was any blood there.

"Let me see," said Sami, walking over to him and going up on her toes she had a closer look.

"There's no blood," she said after a brief inspection, "But there is a lump - go and sit on the bed."

"It's fine," he said moodily, "I'll just take a couple of painkillers and go to bed."

"Let me put some ice on it," she said, "You might have a concussion."

"I don't have a concussion," he dismissed her concern easily.

"It's your sister who's the doctor, not you," Sami reminded him sweetly, "Now stop your complaining and sit down, I've got some ice in the bar fridge in the other room, wait here."

EJ opened his mouth to protest but she was already gone so he moodily slumped over to the bed and sat down on it, eyeing the chin up bar with thinly veiled hatred. Sami returned quickly with a hand towel wrapped around what EJ presumed was the ice. She walked over to where he was standing indicated her should move his legs so she could get closer. EJ was a little surprised, he'd half expected her to just hand him the ice pack but she seemed intent on doing a Florence Nightingale on him for some reason. And like the love sick fool he was he couldn't turn down the opportunity to be close to her, no matter how much she'd just hurt him with her reminder of her love for another man.

EJ wondered despondently if this was going to be his fate forever, being this close to something he wanted more than anything but never being able to have it. It was a depressing thought. Sami stepped closer, standing between his legs as he sat on the bed and pressed the cold pack to his head. EJ grimaced a little at the sharp bite of the coldness to his already sensitive flesh and closed his eyes. His pragmatic nature had forced him to deal with the reality of the situation and give Sami the space she needed. Tony's advice still rang in his ears about becoming the type of man that Sami could love, offering her his love rather than his obsession.

EJ had taken his big brother's advice to heart and ever since than had done nothing other than try and prove to her that he'd changed. EJ realised that the best he could hope for from Samantha now was as a co-parent and friend. Some days he despaired that they would even be that but then there were other days when they'd share a moment, a look and something silent would pass between them before Sami would scurry away and shatter it. Sometimes EJ wondered if he was imagining it when so much of everything else she did belied those little moments but a hope in him that simply wouldn't die protested against such a thing.

"I'm sorry," she Sami softly.

"It's alright," he sighed, opening his eyes and leaving his depressing thoughts for when he'd be alone in his bed - as always, "You can't help being short."

"Not about the chin up bar!" she said rolling her eyes at him in exasperation, "It's not my problem that you can't remember to look where you're going!"

"So what are you sorry for then?" he asked her, puzzled.

She was standing so close now, the smell of her perfume was in his nostrils as she continued to hold the ice pack against his head and he blamed the blow to the head but he started to feel dizzy all of a sudden.

"For today," she replied, her voice low and her eyes darting away from his nervously, "I ruined your chances."

"Samantha," said EJ calmly, "We've been over this - you were fantastic today."

"No," she said and her eyes began to brim with tears, "I blew it - Nicole is right, I'm my own worst enemy - if I'd just…"

"Stop it!" he ordered her firmly, "You were magnificent Samantha and if I don't get my visa it won't be because of you, do you hear me?"

"EJ," she said, the anguish obvious in her voice, "What if you don't get that visa? What if…"

"It's going to be alright Samantha," he reassured her.

"How can you know that for sure?" she asked him hopelessly.

"I have to believe that I'm going to be allowed to stay in this country Samantha," he told her softly, "I need to be here for you, for Johnny and for Ali."

Sami went to open her mouth but he forestalled her with a raised finger.

"Don't," he told her quietly, "Don't tell me again that Ali isn't my child and isn't my concern, please Samantha."

"EJ," said Sami with a despondent shake of her head at this familiar conversation.

"I loved her the first moment I held her in my arms," he continued on softly as though she hadn't spoken, "The very first time she looked at me with those big beautiful blue eyes of her I fell completely under her spell and everyday I fall a little more in love with her. I'm sorry if you don't want to hear that and I know she's not mine to love but I can't stop myself and what's more, you can't tell me who I can and cannot give my heart to. It's my heart to give and it will always be hers for the keeping, whether she wants it or not."

Sami stood perfectly still, fighting back the tears at his words, compressed still pressed to his head. Even though he'd spoken the words so quietly there was a certainty, a depth to them that couldn't be taken away. He was holding her gaze steadily and suddenly she felt as though he was all around her, surrounding her, consuming her somehow. She realised how close they were and the power of his presence rolled off him and enveloped her.

"We… we're still talking about Ali right?" she asked hesitantly, sounding nervous now.

EJ didn't answer immediately and she felt those dark brown eyes of his searching her face and her heart began to beat an erratic rhythm at being under such close scrutiny.

"Of course," he answered her finally, his voice low, "Who else?"

"Right," said Sami, wondering why it was that she suddenly couldn't look away from him, "And… and I umm… appreciate how you are with her."

"It's nice to be appreciated," he murmured, his eyes watching as she nervously wet her suddenly dry lips.

"Yes," she said weakly, "And I do… appreciate you… your help with the twins… and… and everything…"

"Do you?" he said softly.

EJ didn't know how this had happened but standing so close, whispering to one another - it was like they'd slipped into some kind of alternate reality where everything else in the world seemed to be fading around them until it was just the two of them, existing outside time, outside reality. There was only her now, nothing else and he could see in her eyes that she was feeling it too. He reached out a hand, unable to bear not being able to touch her any longer and gently began to stroke the calf of her left leg as they continued their hushed conversation.

"I do," said Sami all of a sudden breathless at the feeling of his hand gently caressing her bare flesh.

EJ moved his hand a little higher until he was tracing little circles on the back of her knee and Sami almost whimpered at the sensation.

"Don't…" she breathed, looking at him with anguish.

"Don't what Samantha?" he asked her just as quietly but his voice was beginning to roughen.

_Don't touch me, don't come into my room uninvited, don't think that you have any right to put your hands on me ever…_

These were all the things she meant to say, honestly, she did.

"Don't leave me," she said achingly, a tear slipping down her cheek.

Everyone who had ever meant something to her had eventually left her - her mother and father, her brother, Lucas, Austin, Brandon, Will… the list seemed endless. Some of them came back but others never had. She felt as though they'd all taken a piece of her heart with them and at times she was sure that all that was left of her heart was a broken and bloody mess.

"Samantha," he groaned, his free hand going immediately to cup her face and capture the tear, "I could never leave you, never, not in my wildest dreams - I don't have the strength!"

"EJ," she gasped but her next words were taken from her as he pulled her lips to his, capturing them in his mouth.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter THREE**

How long had it been since he'd kissed her, since he'd had the taste of her in his mouth - months, minutes, he couldn't tell anymore, time couldn't touch them now. EJ was terrified that at any moment she was going to pull away from him and he couldn't bear it, felt himself begin to shake at even the thought of it. But she wasn't, instead she returned his kisses, seeking him out as eagerly as he was her.

How was this even possible?

Maybe Sami had been right and he had concussion after all, maybe he was unconscious even now and was dreaming all this. EJ couldn't bring himself to care, as long as it just never stopped he'd gladly embrace death.

Sami prayed for some sense of revulsion, some intense hatred to come and save her from what she was doing with this man but nothing even remotely like that came to rescue her. Instead a heat began to spread through her, a glorious ache that was building at her very centre and it terrified her but not as much as the thought of stopping this from going any further.

"Please," he begged her, his voice shaking as he tore his lips from hers to whisper the plea, "Please God make this real!"

Sami shuddered uncontrollably at how much raw desire she could hear in his voice, never having heard a man sound like that before and feeling herself get instantly wet knowing it was for her.

"EJ!" she groaned and that was all he needed.

The hand that had been cupping her head so he could plunder her mouth joined it's mate on her legs. As he reclaimed her mouth his hands slowly moved up the back of her legs but Sami was too distracted to notice as she buried her hands in his thick dark hair and returned his kisses with equal passion. It was only when his hands had reached the top of her legs and his fingers began to snake under the edge of her panties that Sami began to panic. If he kept going he was going to find out exactly how much of a wanton she was, how ready she was for him after nothing more than a few kisses. Some deep seated modesty made her horrified at the thought and went to struggle against him but it was already too late. One hand had remained stroking one cheek of her bottom whilst the other one had found it's way to her centre.

EJ moaned his joy at finding her so wet for him already, it was more than he'd ever imagined being possible and it broke whatever restraint he thought he'd had up until this point. At the sound of his moans Sami couldn't help herself and felt her body reward his rapture with even more of it's wet heat. This seemed to be his undoing because before she knew what had happened she found their positions reversed, suddenly she was lying back on the bed, her feet dangling over the edge and EJ was crouched down between them, already tugging down her now drenched panties and discarding them carelessly. She was utterly exposed to him and again she felt that moment of panic.

EJ felt her tense under his hands and was pretty confident that if they stopped now he'd probably die! He moved up her body and kissed her hard, desperately and she responded in kind, temporarily forgetting her vulnerable position. He broke the kiss when oxygen became an issue.

"Please," he rasped his eyes so dark now that they looked black, "I need to do this for you."

Sami's eyes widened as she realised what he was talking about. None of her previous lovers had been overly interested in what she was pretty certain EJ had in mind and again it made her feel like some kind of harlot to even think about wanting something like that but again he was already kissing his way down her body until he was at her centre again and she shook her head and she didn't know if she was more afraid that he would keep going or if he was goin-g to stop! She felt him cup her back side with both hands and she opened her mouth and uncertain if she was going to stop him or urge him on but it didn't matter because she lost the power of speech in the next second anyway.

At the first touch of his tongue to her centre she bucked up and screamed, sharp sensations wracking her body out of nowhere. She'd only had this done to her a couple of times before but clearly they'd had no idea as to what they were doing because it had _never_ felt like this! Sami lost all control of herself and couldn't contain the gasping groans that he was wringing from her as he began to work his magic. Without her knowing it her hand clutched his dark hair, holding him in place, terrified now that he might stop because she was pretty sure she'd die if he did!

She needn't have worried because EJ wasn't going anywhere in a hurry. The way she was writhing underneath him, screaming and sobbing his name was actually better than any sex he'd had up until this point and he was still fully clothed! He held on determinedly to her backside, not wanting to lose his prize despite how much she was moving underneath him. This was beyond any sexual experience he'd ever had before and there was still so much more to be explored. He groaned against sensitive core at the thought and Sami dug her heels into the bed at the increased sensation. He'd barely begun his ministrations though and she was exploding under him and couldn't believe she was climaxing already.

_He needed to be inside this woman in the worst possible way and right now! _

Sami was still sobbing and trying to breath again after the force of her release. She'd be embarrassed another time at how little time it had taken him to bring her to orgasm, right now she needed to see him naked! She was still shuddering as he moved up her body again, pressing heated kisses along her flesh as she did.

"Thank you," he groaned into the sensitive skin of her stomach.

_He_ was thanking _her_! After what he just made her feel she should be the one thanking him and she opened her mouth to tell him so but he was already covering her mouth with his. Sami groaned as she tasted herself in his kiss and he seemed to know what she was thinking.

"You taste so good sweetheart," he rasped, his voice strained at having to continue to hold himself in check.

"EJ!" she gasped, unbelievably aroused by his words, "I want you - NOW!"

Hearing the desperate need in her voice just about ended it right then and there for him but with some Herculean effort of self control EJ managed to not embarrass himself. He felt her hands began to tear at his clothing and the self control began to slip again. Sami pressed against his chest and for a split second he was terrified that she was ending it but she just wanted to switch places with him so she could help him with his clothing. It wasn't clear who managed to do what, there was such a desperate flurry of hands but very quickly they were both naked and she was leaning over him to kiss him, her small hand moving down his finely hair covered chest and lower. At the first touch of her hand to his rigid member it was EJ's turn to buck up and groan uncontrollably.

"No Sami!" he complained as she wrapped her hand around him.

She tightened her grip and his eyes rolled back in his head, his back arching at this simplest of touches. Fresh wetness pooled between her thighs at seeing the power she had over this man - it was a heady aphrodisiac and she wanted more. Sami began to move her hand but his hand snapped out and grabbed hers.

"Seriously sweetheart," he panted, looking up at her with lust glazed eyes, "I can't… you can't… I'm going to…"

EJ couldn't waste anymore energy on words, instead he flipped them over so that he was on top again and propped himself up on his elbows, taking most of his weight off her. She wrapped her legs around his waist and arched her back in invitation. EJ made a sound so low in his throat it came out more as a growl than anything else. He'd never been this hard before in his life and at the first touch of his tip to her dripping centre he got even harder but he needed her to be certain although he had no idea how he was going to stop now but he'd find a way if she told him to. His eyes asked the question of her and she gave him her answer. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled herself up so that she could whisper desperately into his ear.

"I want you inside of me EJ."

EJ didn't need anymore encouragement and pushed against her opening, feeling her heat envelope him. He'd wanted to go slower, to savour every moment of the exquisite sensations of entering her body but she was so tight, so hot and wet from her previous climax that he found he couldn't. He needed to be completely encased in her as quickly as possible or he was going to die. She gasped as she took all of him in a hard thrust and he was frightened he might have hurt but she quickly belied that fear.

"Oh god EJ!" she moaned, clutching at his back, "YES!"

"Samantha!" he grunted, knowing he'd found his home at last.

They were both too far gone to make this the slow lovemaking session EJ had always envisaged this moment as being. Her cries were urging him on and he could do nothing but answer her cries with his owns as his body took over and he began a frantic pace inside of her, burying himself as deep as he could inside of her before withdrawing and repeating the process over and over again. EJ had no idea how it was that he was managing to hold out as long as he was, every time he felt his end approaching he managed to find some inner resolve to last just that little bit longer but it was quickly coming to an end.

The way Samantha was groaning under him, meeting each of his frantic strokes told him she was fast getting there as well but not as quickly as him seeing as he hadn't had the benefit of a release already. He _needed_ for Samantha to come with him and knew he didn't have long left in him. EJ slipped his hands between their sweating, heaving bodies and found her centre again and at the first touch of his hand to her swollen nub she exploded under him and began to bear down on him uncontrollably and he was gone.

"EJ!" she screamed, arching her back, her body convulsing wildly as her second orgasm ripped through her.

He felt her nails dig into his back but didn't feel the pain as his own body went through the longest, most intense orgasm of his life. It seemed to have no end - every time he thought he was spent she would spasm under him and milk more delight from his body. Wave after wave of his climax took him and he could hear someone howling and realised it was him.

Sami felt him tense and release continuously and marvelled at how long he seemed to be going for and couldn't believe it was because of her. It made her want him again, straight away and this time she didn't ashamed at the thought. He finally collapsed onto her and she knew she should feel suffocated by the weight of him on her but she didn't. His back was slick with his sweat and she stroked it soothingly while she waited for him to come to his senses again. It took a long time but finally EJ realised that she was taking all of his weight and somehow found the strength to slide one leg to the side and use his arms to take some of his weight off her. He looked down at her uncertainly, not sure what was going to come next - recriminations, tears? He wouldn't be able to bear it if she regretted what had just happened between them. He waited anxiously for her to speak and when she did it was the last thing he'd expected to hear her say.

"You're still hard," she breathed up at him, her face flushed from her own exertions and release.

"Yes," he rasped, moving ever so slightly, still inside of her.

Impossibly, despite the force of his release he was still hard, still aching for her. She pushed on his chest again but clamped around him so he knew she didn't want him to withdraw so he let her roll him over onto his back. She straddled him then, with him embedded deep inside her and EJ moaned his ecstasy, knowing she wanted more as much as he did.

"Then I guess we're not done yet," she said breathily and began to move on top of him and he groaned and grabbed her hips, helping her find the rhythm that pleased them both and prayed he had the strength to keep up with her.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter FOUR**

EJ slowly came awake and rolled over onto his side, blinking against the beginnings of the morning light which had already infiltrated the bedroom. There was a pleasurable ache in his muscles, a happy testament to the fact that last night had indeed happened and wasn't just a particularly lucid dream. Unbidden a smile came to his lips at the memory of their heated tryst - sorry, trysts. He'd always known that Samantha was a passionate woman but she redefined his understanding of that word last night. He could barely keep up with her and he'd never considered himself to be a slouch in that area! It was a glorious night of revelations and hot, shameless sex.

EJ put out a hand and touched the empty and now cold side of the bed that no longer contained his lover and gave a little grimace. His eyes flicked up and saw Samantha sitting in a nearby chair, staring sightlessly out the bedroom window. She was dressed in only his dress shirt and he wondered at her choice. They were in her bedroom after all, she could have chosen any number of other things to put on but she'd chosen that. The smile returned to his face.

He knew his Samantha, he knew what was coming. As much as he might dream that he was going to wake up to a woman ready to embrace her what for any other woman would be undeniable feelings for him he knew that wasn't going to happen. She was stubborn and wilful and right now he knew she'd be freaking out about last night which meant she was going to come out all guns blazing. EJ expected her to get a lot more prickly before she finally let herself admit the inevitable - that she loved him as much as he loved her. But not even that thought could dampen his spirits.

Today was a new day, the small flicker of hope that he'd been protecting without him realising it from his depressing pragmatism was now a raging inferno and nothing she could say or do would be able to dampen that hope again. Everything had changed between them after last night and there could be no arguing about that but he knew Samantha would and he loved her even more for it - so feisty, so spirited - his equal in every way.

"Hey," he said softly and her head jerked around at the sound of his voice, startled.

"Hey," she croaked, her hands starting to move nervously.

"The twins up yet?" he asked, carefully choosing a neutral topic to put her at ease.

"No," she replied with a little shrug, "But it's still early."

"They're getting good at sleeping in," observed EJ evenly, still lying in bed and watching her, "It seems like they don't get up not until about 7-730."

"Mm," murmured Sami, wondering about how surreal it was to be having such an easy, mundane conversation while he lay naked in her bed.

Sami had woken up about half an hour ago and had been sitting there ever since trying to work out what had happened last night. She'd broken a promise to Lucas and to herself. She'd let EJ in but then, a little voice in her head argued, she'd let him in a long time ago - last night was just another example of that. She'd been dreading him waking up, having no clue what it was she was going to say to him.

"How are you?" he asked her and she could feel his dark eyes on her.

"Fine," she said hastily, "How are you?"

It sounded oddly stilted and rushed, like a child trying to remember it's manners and EJ smiled to hear her sound so nervous.

"Fine," he repeated back to her and then with an impish grin, "Mind you, I can't feel my legs anymore."

He was just teasing her to lighten the mood but his comment seemed to have the opposite effect. She sprang up from her chair and rushed over to the bed, a look of horror on her face.

"Oh god EJ!" she exclaimed frantically, "Are you alright?! The bullet in your back, did I.. did we… when we were… did the bullet move or something. Should I call 911?!"

Her words came out in a jumble, falling over the top of themselves as she worked herself up into a panic. This would just be her luck to cripple someone with sex! Where do you go from there and why do all of these bizarre things have to happen to her? She just knew that last night had been a mistake and this proved it. If only she hadn't been such a wanton, more of a lady last night then…

"I'm going to call 911!" she announced earnestly, having no idea how she was going to tell people how this happened.

"Samantha!" laughed EJ, grabbing her arm as she made a lunge for the phone, "Sweetheart, calm down, it was just a figure of speech. My legs are fine."

"Wh… what?" she stammered, trying to get her heart to calm down and stop beating so painfully in her chest.

"I was just teasing you," he told her with an amused grin.

Sami gave him an outraged look and smacked at the hand that was holding onto her arm.

"Don't you ever joke about something like that again!" she practically shouted at him and slapped his arm a couple of times for good measure, "That wasn't funny!"

"I'm sorry," he laughed openly at her now whilst rolling over onto his back and warding off her blows easily, "It never occurred to me that you'd take me seriously and to be perfectly honest with you the bullet in my spine was the last thing I was thinking of when I woke up this morning. Do you want to know what was?"

"No!" she said sharply having more than a fair idea what that might have been.

"Okay," he sighed with feigned regret, "Maybe later than."

"No!" she said hotly, "Not later, not ever!"

Good old Samantha, as much as she could be wild and capricious she also had a healthy dose of predictability about her he mused to himself but if he hadn't been convinced of her love for him after last night seeing her panic over the thought he might be hurt again removed any lingering doubts for him. She was going to make the next little while hard for him he could tell but he'd endured a lot worse from her and the prize was so very nearly his, he just had to see this last little bump in the road through until she ran out of reasons not to admit that she loved him too.

"Oh well," he said, "I'll go check on the twins then if you're not interested."

"I'm not!" she said shortly and then her eyes widened in horror as he rolled out of bed and stood up, completely uncaring about his nakedness.

"What are you doing?!" she squeaked, blushing furiously as he turned to face her.

"Checking on the twins," he told her and then there was that roguish little smirk of his again, "I was going to put on pants before I went though."

"Well hurry up then!" said Sami, determinedly looking away from him in all of his naked glory, her facing burning with embarrassment.

"Samantha," said EJ with great affection as he pulled on his jeans and did up the zip, walking over to where she was sitting on the bed, "You can't be serious - you're blushing after what we did last night… really? Sweetheart, there can't be any part of my body that you haven't committed to memory after last nights marathon."

"It wasn't a marathon!" she denied his description heatedly, hating how it made her sound like some kind of wanton.

"Sweetheart we made love four times and that doesn't include the three times we…" he began, sitting down beside her on the bed and looking at her indulgently.

"Alright!" she interrupted him sharply before he could finish, her blush returning in force at his graphic description of last nights events, "I was there, I know what we did."

Sami found it hard to look him in the eye as he sat beside her, twisting around so he could be facing her. She knew her blush was only deepening under such close scrutiny and she cursed her pale skin that gave everything away.

"Samantha," he said softly, "There is no need to be embarrassed, I'm not."

"Nothing seems to embarrass you!" she snapped unhappily, remembering him saying something very similar to her the night before her almost wedding to Austin and feeling very vulnerable all of a sudden.

"Maybe I'm just more accepting of the way things are," he told her with a little shrug.

"Lucky you," she said unhappily.

EJ studied her profile, her cheeks still flushed pink and it reminded him of how she looked in the throes of passion and he couldn't help himself.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered, leaning in and pressing his lips to her ear, "I can't bear it sometimes."

"EJ," she protested but his hot breath tickling her ear made her shudder and ruined the effect.

His hand came up and rested itself on her exposed thigh as he began to nuzzle at her neck now and Sami tried to move away but despite her brains best efforts her body remained stubbornly where it was, not willing to give up what he was doing to it just yet. She felt the bed dip a little as he moved closer to her and she could feel the length of him pressed against her side as they both sat on the edge of the bed and her eyes fluttered shut, the now familiar warmth his touch brought with it starting to spread from her core out to the rest of her body.

"I've always wondered exactly how far that enticing blush of yours actually goes," he murmured and she could feel his wicked smile against the sensitive skin of her neck.

The hand on her thigh moved up until his index finger was resting in the little dip at the bottom of her neck, in the middle of her collar bone, feeling the pulse there fluttering erratically against it. He lifted his head from where he'd been working his way down her neck and watched the progress of his finger as he dragged it slowly down her chest now, looking for where the pink of her blushes stopped. Down his fingers trailed until they reached the first button of his shirt that she was wearing. He deftly undid the couple of buttons she'd managed to do up whilst getting dressed in the dark and trying not to disturb him. As soon as he was done his fingers returned to the exact spot they'd left off, obviously not willing to forgo even an inch of the slow discovery of the answer to his question.

The material of the shirt feel open and she was exposed to his enraptured gaze. Ever lower his finger drifted, moving down the valley between her breasts without touching them. With her eyes still closed Sami felt her nipples harden almost painfully, as though they knew what he wanted them to do for him and for the first time his resolve seemed to waver. All thoughts of tracking her blushes appeared to leave him as she heard him groan and then felt his mouth latch onto one tightly beaded nipple and suckled hard. Sami's head fell back at the sensation and her hands immediately went to his head, intent on holding him in place, her back arching to grant him better access.

"Samantha," she heard him say roughly and then he was pushing her backwards onto the bed and she went willingly, wanting more.

The sound of a child's cry broke the heated silence between the two of them and they both blinked, trying to return to the real world.

"Ali," said EJ, looking over at the baby monitor and then back at Sami.

"Yes," agreed Sami, her voice uneven and faint, the after effects of what he'd been doing to her body.

"I'll go," he told her with a little smile and with a final impish nuzzle of her breasts he was lifting himself of her.

EJ looked down at her as she lay on the bed, shirt open to expose those breasts that drove him to distraction, blonde hair framing the face that was looking up at him wide eyed and dazed. He wondered if Ali might settle herself but then the baby's cries grew louder and he knew she was up for the day… which rather ironically was what EJ thought would be his problem too! He wanted more of her, even after last night, particularly after last night. He knew he was insatiable when it came to Samantha and everything about last night seemed to point to her feeling exactly the same way, not that she was going to admit that of course, not yet at least.

"Everyone is going to be up soon," he said regretfully, his eyes hungrily taking in every pale, perfect inch of her.

"Yes," agreed Sami weakly, feeling the aches between her legs growing even more with him looking at her like that.

"I'll get the twins organised then and meet you downstairs for breakfast then," he told her, his eyes finally making their way back to her face, "Don't rush - there is plenty of time."

Sami didn't know if he was just talking about breakfast or something far more specific to their particular situation and she didn't want to know. She had enough to deal with trying to make sense of last night… and this morning. She didn't need his cryptic carrying ons as well! He gave her a little smile and she had no idea if she returned it or not but then he was gone and she was left lying there, trying to work out exactly how things had made such a drastic turn in such a short amount of time between them.

One of the great things about children Sami found herself thinking later as everyone sat around the kitchen table was how distracting they could be. Wrangling two babies into having their breakfast whilst trying to have your own provided plenty of diversions which was exactly what Sami needed right now. After a long shower, getting dressed and doing her hair and makeup she still had no idea about what to think about last night or what she was going to do about it. EJ had already given each twin their bottle and had them sitting up in their new high chairs trying to convince them of the delights of solid foods. Well, as solid as mashed up banana gets that is. It seemed to Sami that there was more banana on the outside of the twins then was making it to the inside! Ali seemed to be enjoying the new sweet food though but Johnny seemed more interested in the spoon then the actual food it was trying to deliver.

"Is any of that actually getting into their mouths?" asked Sami sceptically watching yet another aborted attempt to get food into Johnny's mouth as he grabbed for the spoon, making the mashed banana land on a heap on his bib.

"I'm am going to confidently predict that a good 40% of it is making it," said EJ with a grin, "The other 60% I'm rather hoping for some kind of osmosis effect to just go in via the skin."

"You may be reaching on that one," said Sami with a shake of her head.

It seemed amazing to her that they could just slip back into the comfortable banter that they'd built up after last night. She'd been terrified that it would be awkward and obvious that something had happened last night but it wasn't like that - it was relaxed and well… normal. Sami couldn't work out if that was a good or a bad thing.

"It's always like this in the beginning," smiled Marlena, watching her grandchildren experience their first solids with great affection, "Trying to feed you and Eric in the beginning was like being in the middle of a permanent food fight. In the end I used to feed you in the garden just to make clean up easier. I was just really fortunate that it was summer otherwise I would have had to come up with another solution."

"I didn't' know that," said Sami in surprise, "You've never told me that story before."

"Haven't I?" smiled Marlena and then gave a little shrug, "I guess you forget some things as time goes by. That's why it's been so special having these two little treasures living with us, makes you remember all the little things."

Just then Ali chose that moment to turn her head, grin and EJ and then promptly throw up all over him as he leaned over them trying to get them to eat their banana.

The milky, banana-ery mess slide down his shirt in an ever widening mess before he could grab a towel to wipe it away.

"The kids got good range I'll give her that," commented John and it almost sounded like he was impressed, "And her accuracy is spot on as well."

"She does seem to be particularly talented at hitting her mark," agreed EJ, completely unfazed at being vomited on by this stage of the game.

Rolf suddenly appeared in the kitchen, a basket full of laundry under his arm.

"I am doing the 'vashing of the clothes," he announced to the whole room as though he was proclaiming the cure for cancer.

"Good luck with that," said John flatly, "Let me know how it turns out."

"Does anyvun have any more durtee clothes before I start?" continued on Rolf, ignoring his employers sarcasm.

"EJ?" prompted Marlena, "Maybe you should give him your shirt."

"It's alright," he told her, "I've had worse…"

Just then Johnny decided to join in on the fun and a huge lump of sticky banana that had somehow managed to find it's way onto the end of spoon EJ had given his son to play with flew across the room and landed on EJ's shirt as well.

"Although," said EJ, not skipping a beat, "On second thought Marlena you might be right."

All of the adults smiled at little Johnny's timing, except for John of course but smiling wasn't exactly his thing nowadays.

"Here," said EJ, standing up and walking over to Rolf, pulling his shirt off over his head as he did to hand it to the other man, "Much appreciated Rolf, your timing couldn't have been better."

Sami felt herself get nervous at suddenly having to sit across from a half naked EJ but that became the least of her worries as she and the rest of the adults sitting at the kitchen table saw EJ's naked back.

_Oh. My. God._

"What happened to your back nephew?" asked John, characteristically blunt.

EJ turned around with a puzzled look on his face as Rolf left to do the laundry.

"What do you mean?" asked EJ in confusion as he looked over his shoulder trying to see what the other man was referring to.

_Oh. My. GOD!_

_This couldn't be happening!_

Sami was just looking in wide eyed terror at the scene unfolding in front of her, horribly aware of her mother and her step father sitting right there, one on either side of her as EJ incriminated them both. She wished the ground would just open her up and swallow her whole!

"Your back," clarified John with a little inclination of his head, "It looks like you've been attacked by a wild animal."

Sami almost whimpered from the embarrassment, praying that the pain in her head was a stroke and it would all be over for her soon.

EJ's eyes widened as the penny finally dropped. He'd left Samantha in that rather wonderful state of undress and had quickly been consumed by the needs of the twins. All he'd done was thrown a t-shirt on and got about the business of getting them organised for the day. He really hadn't had a chance to stop and take stock of too much else but now that John mentioned it his back had felt a little tender. But then so did just about every other body part thanks to the woman that was sitting and looking at him with such a frantic expression on her face that it was all he could do not to burst out laughing.

"So what happened?" pressed John, seeming oblivious to the embarrassment he was causing the others in the room.

"_Oh God EJ, harder, don't stop, don't stop!"_

The memory of her screaming out her pleasure as he plundered her body, her nails raking his heated flesh came to him with frightening clarity but EJ sensed that the truth was not going to be the way to go with this one if the expression on Sami's face was any indication.

"Ahh…" EJ paused and stumbled about to find a suitable explanation.

Not an easy thing to do, firstly because a great deal of his mental capacity was currently being taken up remembering in excruciatingly vivid detail what exactly had caused the scratches on his back and trying to not look as horny as he suddenly felt. The second being… what other explanation could there be?? Sami was looking at him with a kind of desperate horror for him to find something though so he did his best.

"Allergies," he finally managed, hoping he sounded a lot more convincing then he felt.

"Allergies?" repeated John sceptically.

"Ah yes," said EJ, soldiering on seeing as he had no where to go now but follow it through, "To a cat actually."

"What did you do?" asked John, tilting his head as though trying to work it through in his own mind, "Stick the thing down your shirt?"

"You know John we should start getting ready for work now," interrupted Marlena, speaking for the first time.

"But EJ hasn't finished his story," protested John with a frown.

"Oh I think he has," smiled Marlena and then before John could put any more resistance she'd ushered him from the room.

There was a long silence after they'd left. EJ was reminded of how just before a Tsunami hits everything goes deathly quiet and all of the water is sucked away from the beaches before returning as a tidal wave of death. EJ had the very strong feeling that he was about to get wet… very wet.

"Allergies!" repeated a horrified Sami when she finally managed to recover the power of speech, "_That_ was the best you could come up with - you're a lawyer - aren't you meant to be able to think on your feet?!"

"I'm sorry sweetheart," said EJ with a fair amount of irony in his voice, "But I was away the day they covered what to say when your in-laws catch you with love scratches all over you from your 'fake' wife. In hind sight it was one I should have made more of an effort to catch."

"This is a nightmare!" groaned Sami, hating how unfazed he seemed by this turn of events.

_Damn the man, he really didn't embarrass easily!_

"No sweetheart," he corrected her with a little smile, "Rolf in a two piece bathing suit is a nightmare - this is just a little hiccup."

"My mother and John think we had sex last night!" said Sami with great agitation, ignoring his humour, "How is that _not_ a nightmare?"

"First of all Samantha we _did_ have sex last night," said EJ in amusement, "And in case you need reminding I can show you my back again if you like where a certain wild cat…"

"Enough!" she snapped, her cheeks burning in embarrassment.

"Of course," said EJ smoothly, a little smirk on his face as seeing her blush so brightly, knowing she was remembering exactly how he got those marks, "As I was saying, secondly we _are_ married Samantha and married people do have sex on occasion - I read that in a book somewhere once. I realise that is setting somewhat of a precedent in this household but still… there it is."

"Maybe they believed your story," said Sami weakly to herself as she slumped down into a kitchen chair, desperately clinging to any hope that there might still be a way out of this.

"Sweetheart," said EJ with great amusement, "Even John isn't _that_ brain damaged and your mother…"

"My Mom!" groaned Sami, dropping her head to the table top and burying her head in her hands, "What am I going to tell my Mom?"

"You're a grown woman Samantha," he told her calmly, "You don't have to tell her anything. This is our business, no one else's."

"But she thinks we had sex!" hissed Sami, trying yet again to convince him of how dire the situation was because he just didn't seem to understand.

"Look if you're so bothered by this why don't you talk to her about it," said EJ, relenting in her teasing of her when he saw that she really was upset, "I don't mind."

"No!" exclaimed Sami, cringing at even the thought of such a conversation.

"Alright then, do you want me to talk to Marlena?" he offered helpfully.

"NO!" she practically screeched the word, "Are you insane?! There is no way in hell I'm going to have you talk to my Mom or anyone else about what happened last night - EVER!"

"So does that mean I need to do some deleting in my MySpace journal for today?" he asked her straight faced.

Sami's mouth dropped open and her eyes widened to the size of saucers at his words and EJ couldn't keep it together any longer.

"I'm sorry sweetheart," he laughed openly at her now, holding up a conciliatory hand, "I'm only teasing you, I don't even have a MySpace journal."

He saw relief, annoyance and frustration fight for a place on her face and he just couldn't help himself.

"It's in Facebook," he continued on blithely, knowing he was taking his life into his own hands.

"Oh my god!" she yelled at him, jumping up at and beginning to smack at his arms in complete agitation, "How can you joke about something like this! You are the most annoying, insensitive, rude man I have ever met!"

EJ was trying not to laugh and fend of her flurry of blows at the same time as she raged at him.

_Damn but she was gorgeous when she got her Irish up!_

EJ instantly regretted having not rattled her cage more in the last couple of months - how could he have deprived himself of seeing Samantha in full battle mode?! But that was something he was intent on rectify from now on. He captured her arms, long fingers sliding around her little wrists and without hurting her he pulled them behind her back, circling his arms around her and holding her against him. He put his lips to her ear as she struggled against him to get free and spoke softly to her.

"But that's why you love me right?" he breathed into her ear and Sami bit her lip to stop from shuddering at how sexy he sounded right then.

"I have _never_ said I loved you!" she bit out, desperate to get away from the sound of his voice and the feel of his long hard body pressed up against her.

"Actions speak louder than words," he told her, his voice low and velvety and she felt his tongue sneak out and begin to trace along the edge of the delicate skin of her ear.

Sami knew that if she let him continue on for even a second longer that the next person who walked through the kitchen door was most likely going to be treated to the sight of much more than a few scratches. No, a couple of more seconds of his skilful tongue on her body and they were going to get the main event and Sami simply couldn't have that so she did what she always did when backed into a corner - came out fighting.

"OWW!" yelped EJ and jumped back, looking at her with shock and shaking the leg she'd just kicked.

"Hey you're right!" she said sweetly, "Actions do speak louder than words!"

Sami then marched out of the kitchen, triumphant that she'd put a stop to his less than honourable intentions and trying to convince herself that she was happy about that rather than achingly disappointed. EJ watched her go and gave a rueful smile as he rubbed his abused shin. He couldn't love this little prickly creature anymore if he tried he decided. How like her to be so contrary when everyone else knew the truth about what it was she really wanted. EJ wasn't worried though, he had a plan and he was going to set it in motion that very day. Very soon Samantha was going to have no choice but to be honest with herself about what it was that she truly wanted.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter FIVE**

EJ moved in his chair and leaned forward a little, scribbling something in the margin of the notes he had in front of him. It was more for his clients benefit so she'd think he was actually listening to what she was saying rather than it being in anyway necessary. Nicole Kiriarkis had been sitting across from him in his office and for the last fifteen minutes hadn't even drawn breath yet about her divorce case from Victor.

It she had bothered to stop for even a few seconds then EJ would have been able to tell her that he'd dealt with the problem she was going on about at length but truth be told he didn't mind. His thoughts were somewhere far more pleasant than in a stuffy office with some brassy blonde who loved the sound of her own voice. No, he had an entirely different blonde on his mind…

"_You're still hard," she breathed up at him, her face flushed from her own exertions and release._

"_Yes," he rasped, moving ever so slightly, still inside of her._

_Impossibly, despite the force of his release he was still hard, still aching for her. She pushed on his chest again but clamped around him so he knew she didn't want him to withdraw so he let her roll him over onto his back. She straddled him then, with him embedded deep inside her and EJ moaned his ecstasy, knowing she wanted more as much as he did. _

"_Then I guess we're not done yet," she said breathily and began to move on top of him and he groaned and grabbed her hips, helping her find the rhythm that pleased them both and prayed he had the strength to keep up with her._

_Her gorgeous, full breasts moved with every rise and fall of her hips and he realised to his horror that he had given them absolutely no attention in their first frenzied coupling and couldn't bear the thought! EJ's hands left her hips to cup their heaviness in his hands, hardly able to believe that he was finally here, getting to do all the things to her that he'd only ever dreamed of alone his bed before now. Very quickly it wasn't enough and he needed more, sitting up he hungrily latched onto a pert nipple. EJ heard her make a sharp gasp and worried for a moment that he'd been too rough in his excitement but then he felt a hand in his hair, urging him on and he happily indulged her. He felt her clench even tighter around his rigid member and suddenly their pace was too slow for him now…_

"So I said to Philip, if you want me out of here you're going to have to do way better than that baby! I mean just who does he think he is anyway?! I'm the man's wife, his _wife_ for Pete's sake and I deserve some respect! He can't just drag my name around in the mud and not expect to get his hands dirty I say! And if he thinks…"

EJ crossed his legs and sat forward in his chair, leaning an elbow on his desk and resting his chin in his hand and giving what he hoped was some kind of facsimile of a man enthralled in her story. Nicole for her part didn't seem to need his involvement at all and didn't look like she was going to be stopping anytime soon. Despite the growing discomfort EJ was feeling somewhere south of the border he couldn't stop himself from returning to his memories of last night.

_Sami gasped as EJ suddenly pushed her back onto the bed, reversing their positions again. He kissed her hard and she responded in kind, his tongue doing battle with hers. She arched her back, intentionally scrapping her hardened nipples against his chest and he groaned into her mouth at the sensation. There was so much of her body that he wanted to be touching, tasting that he could hardly stand it. Every part of her was a new delight and he felt like a kid in a candy store. He wanted to never stop kissing her but the feel of her breasts rubbing against him couldn't be ignored any longer. _

_EJ broke off their kiss and hungrily sort out the breast that had yet to benefit from his skilful mouth. She moaned her approval as he took the turgid bud into his mouth, running his tongue back and forth over the dimpled flesh until he it was satisfied at how tight it had become. He pulled back and surveyed his handiwork, groaning at seeing the now swollen pink nub crowning her perfect breast and felt himself grow inside of her yet again, reminding him of the increasing need for some kind of release. But not before he gave the same kind of attention to her other flawless breast, he couldn't play favourites now could he? _

_Sami was beginning to move underneath him as he lavished the same ministrations on her other breast and as much as he wanted to keep going, a more urgent demand was being made of him by his body. EJ returned to her lips, his hands sliding up under her legs, hooking themselves behind her knees and slowly pushing them back towards her chest. The slight change in position allowed him even better penetration of her body and Sami moaned her gratitude, clutching at his back, nails digging deep into his flesh._

"_Oh god YES!" she gasped, squeezing her eyes shut as he now put his on either side of her shoulders, sliding each leg over the crook of his elbow and holding her in that position, her backside lifted off the bed now. _

_Sami had never had a man this deep inside her before and it was beyond endurance. _

"_Please," she whimpered, opening her eyes and looking up at EJ wide eyed._

_He held her gaze as he slowly withdrew from her body, almost all the way out before plunging back into her, burying himself up to the hilt in her wet heat. They both whimpered then, the sensation exquisite in it's perfection. _

"_Samantha," he bit out between clenched teeth, adoring her more than he ever thought possible._

"_More!" she groaned, clutching at his backside, "Don't stop!"_

_EJ immediately repeated the action to both of their intense pleasure, again and again he entered her and had never felt more complete than he did right then._

"_Harder!" she begged him, arching her back again, meeting each of his thrusts, "Please EJ, I need you so much! Harder!"_

"_Don't let me hurt you!" he pleaded with her but he'd never been able to deny her anything and certainly not this._

_He surged against her even more fiercely now and the friction was almost painful in it's intensity but the satisfaction it brought with it was worth it. Their bodies found their own rhythm that neither of them had any control of anymore. EJ's hips moved at a frantic pace and he just prayed that he wasn't hurting her but he honestly couldn't stop. _

"_Mine!" he grunted, the sweat dripping off him onto her as he laboured away so intensely inside of her, "Mine!"_

_It Sami objected to his possessiveness she didn't show it._

"_EJ!" she panted helplessly, wrapping her arms around his neck, "EJ!"_

_The tension in their bodies continued to build until it could be contained no longer. They both found their end at the same time, their choking sobs of release echoing the final fierce straining of their bodies against each other. EJ collapsed on top of her, unable to hold himself up any longer, every bit of strength leaving his body as he emptied himself into her willing heat._

"So that's it then, no words of wisdom from my highly paid, Cambridge educated, fancy smancy lawyer as to the next move?"

EJ looked over at Nicole and cleared his throat, the throbbing between his legs making coherent speech a bit of a challenge but he gave it his best shot.

"Actually Nicole you don't need to be concerned," he said and was quite proud of how even he'd managed to make his voice sound despite how his blood was rushing around his body at an alarming speed, "I have the matter already well in hand. I filed the papers yesterday to make sure that Philip can't make good with his threats so you can rest easy."

"I won't rest easy until this whole thing is behind me and I've got my money," scowled Nicole and then she looked him up and down and narrowed her eyes a little, "Hey, you okay - you look kinda clammy."

EJ could feel a fine trickle of sweat snaking it's way down his back, a little after affect of his day dreaming.

"It's nothing," he dismissed with a calm smile, "Just fighting off a bit of a cold."

"Ugh," said Nicole unsympathetically, "We'll you can keep that to yourself."

"Thanks for the concern," said EJ ironically, "And I'll do my best. So is that all for today Nicole?"

"I guess," she shrugged, standing up and then looking at him when he didn't do the same, "What - don't you walk your clients to the door anymore? Wow, that British charm thing you've got going on wears out pretty quick don't it?"

"I try and rest my British charm every now and then otherwise it gets a little strained," said EJ smoothly having no intention of standing up in his current condition.

"Whatever," said Nicole with a roll of her eyes, "As long as you bring it to the court room I don't care."

"It will be there," he reassured her smoothly.

EJ watched as she left the room and gave it a moment so that he was sure she was gone before leaning back in his chair and gazing down ruefully at the somewhat awkward state of obvious arousal that his thoughts of Samantha had left him in. This was not a good look for an up and coming lawyer, an up and coming porn star maybe but not a lawyer! EJ blew out an uncomfortable breath and reached for the phone. He needed to expedite his plans for himself and Samantha otherwise he was going to be taking a lot more bathroom breaks in his immediate future!


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter SIX**

Sami walked into the gym and gave a disinterested sigh. This was the last thing she felt like doing but when her Mom suggested that maybe she could stay home and they could have a 'chat' instead it suddenly seemed like the lesser of two evils! Sami was in no way ready to talk about what happened at breakfast and by extension, last night. At this point it was hard to imagine if she ever would be.

Truth be told it wasn't only her distraction that made the gym less than appealing today. The fact was she was still feeling a little… tender after the activities of last night and the thought of jumping on a bike didn't really appeal! Muscles she hadn't even been aware she possessed were aching and it was only getting worse as the day wore on. In fact walking was a bit of an exercise in, not discomfort exactly, but she was incredibly aware of parts of her body that she was trying desperately to ignore.

The gym wasn't very crowded and Sami was grateful for that, at least she'd be able to get in and out quickly. She looked around and grimaced at the walking machines, thinking that might not be the best way to go today. In fact it was hard to think of an exercise that wasn't going to be a mistake of one kind or another. Whilst Sami was trying to make up her mind the last person in the world she wanted to see right then walked through the door.

"What are you doing here?!" she hissed in shock as EJ spotted her straight away and walked over to her.

"Learning a foreign language?" he offered up straight faced.

Sami gave him a disgruntled look at his flippancy and he grinned.

"It's a gym Samantha," he indulged her, "What do you think I'm doing here?"

"I thought you were going to work," she complained, unhappy at finding him here.

"I have been to work and now I find myself with a bit of pent up energy to expend," he said and then gave her an impish look, "And seeing as my bedroom doesn't have an armoire I opted for the gym instead."

EJ looked over at the crèche area before looking back at her.

"Are the twins here?" he asked her a bit hopefully.

"No," said Sami flatly, "My Mom's got them."

"Did Marlena mention anything about this morning to you at all?" asked EJ curiously.

"No!" said Sami in horror and then looked at him suspiciously, "You know, if I didn't know better I'd say you planned the whole thing!"

"I _planned_ Ali and Johnny messing up my shirt?" asked EJ in amusement, "I _planned_ Rolf walking in just at that moment. Come on Samantha - not that I don't quite enjoy the idea of you thinking I've got god-like powers but honestly - don't you think you're reaching just a little there sweetheart?"

"It just seems awfully convenient somehow," she muttered sceptically.

"Sometimes life is like that," shrugged EJ, "And besides, what exactly would be my motivation in doing such a thing?"

"Who knows what goes on in that devious brain of yours?" said Sami looking at him with distrust.

"I am a mystery aren't I?" agreed EJ straight faced, "Just like you my little sphinx."

"Did you come here to work out or be annoying?" grumped Sami.

"I'd like to think I can do both," smiled EJ, "It's not only women who can multitask you know."

Sami shook her head, knowing she was not up to any verbal sparring with him today so she decided, for once, that discretion was the better part of valour.

"So you going on the treadmill first?" asked EJ, changing tact.

_NO, her body shouted, please no!_

"Of course," she said snippily, "Why wouldn't I?"

_Stupid pride, silly, silly Sami._

"No reason," said EJ with a little laugh, taken aback by the force of her answer, not having expected her to be so invested in what piece of equipment she started her work out on.

She gave him a defiant look that EJ had no idea what the reason behind it was and strolled off to start his work out with the punching bag. Sami turned around and grimaced at the treadmill, why hadn't she just said she'd start with some weights training instead? She really wasn't up to doing a lot of running or even walking today! She climbed reluctantly onto the machine and pushed her usual buttons, hoping that she'd loosen up quickly.

Out of the corner of her eye she could see EJ starting to punch away at the weighted bag designed for that exact purpose. She determinedly tried to ignore him but that was becoming increasingly difficult. What was wrong with her? She'd managed to resist just about all of his advances for almost two years now, with a few notable exceptions and they were mostly before she knew he was a DiMera. Now all of a sudden it was like some dam had broken and she was totally out of control around him.

What the hell was _that_ all about?!

One little shared moment in her bedroom and suddenly it's a whole new ballgame! Now that they'd started down that track Sami couldn't seem to get it to stop. It was like trying to put toothpaste back in a tube after squeezing it or trying to get xxxxxxx.

Okay, she just had to stop using analogies that involved things going inside of other things! That was _not_ helping her thought processes! She just had to do her run and think of nice, safe things… like paying bills or her twins. Her twins - perfect - she could think lovely motherly thoughts…

_Sami partially woke from a previously deep sleep, missing the warmth of the other person in the bed. Somewhere in her sleep haze she heard him come back in the room, there was the sound of a zip being undone, pants dropping to the floor and then there was his delicious heat being pressed up against her back as she lay on her side. EJ fitted his lean body against hers, moulding his hard angles to her soft curves. He slipped a leg between hers and slung an arm over her waist._

"_Babies?" mumbled Sami, barely awake._

"_Johnny had kicked his blankets off and was crying," he said softly, pressing a soft kiss to her naked shoulder, "I tucked him in and he was fine."_

_Sami hadn't even heard Johnny cry or felt EJ go, so soundly asleep was she. It was only when the warmth had begun to leave her that she began to drift back into vague consciousness._

"_Ali?" she queried, her voice rough from sleep._

"_Sleeping like an angel," he whispered, "Just like her mother."_

_EJ let his hand wander down and stroke the naked thigh of his angel and Sami shifted a little, settling back more fully against him as he lay stretched out behind her. He let his fingers trail down further along her leg, tracing invisible patterns on the pale flesh. _

"_Mmm," murmured Sami sleepily, enjoying his soft touch._

_She reached above and behind her head to cup the back of his head and lazily ran her fingers through his tussled hair, her fingernails scraping the sensitive skin of his scalp for which she was rewarded with an appreciative hiss. Sami twisted her head back, eyes barely open and he obediently leant down to capture her offered lips. Their tongues met in a lazy dance, each one wooing the other into increasing awareness. _

_EJ's hand drifted back up and cupped the back of her leg, pushing it gently further forward before cupping one of her bottom cheeks with the same hand, gently massing it's firmness. He felt her smile into the kiss and took it as permission to continue. His hand moved down and towards the front of her body, seeking out the prize hidden between those perfect thighs but before he could get there her body reward him with a fresh wetness he could feel against the thigh he had slung between hers. _

"_Oh god Samantha!" he groaned hopelessly into the kiss, "You're like every wet dream I've ever had come true!"_

Samantha bit her lip, her breathing becoming more laboured as she ran on the treadmill and not just because she'd just passed the two mile mark. Whilst at first the running had been an painfully uncomfortable it had now transformed into something else entirely. Her body had warmed up and what before had just been tender had now gotten to the point where certain parts were creating a more than pleasant friction with other parts. Sami had never experience a sensation like it before and common sense told her that now would probably be a good time to stop but then, she and common sense had never been the best of friends.

_Sami felt him his hand continue on, stroking her slick folds for a few minutes moments, lost in each others kisses._

"_You're shaking," she whispered against his lips when he let her take a breath, feeling the slight trembling of his body against her back._

"_You make me lose control sweetheart," he groaned, trailing small kisses down one side of her face, "I can't help it."_

_Sami tightened the grip she still had on the back of his head as he finally dipped his fingers into her wet core and she gave a little gasping sigh as he began to stroke her inner walls._

"_Do you like that sweetheart?" he breathed into her ear._

"_So much!" she moaned softly, moving against him, helping him to move further into her._

_The pace of his strokes were maddeningly slow and Sami was quickly needing more. She gave a frustrated growl when her attempts to get him to quicken his tempo failed. _

"_Impatient aren't we little one?" he teased her, "Tell me what you want, tell me what you need."_

"_Faster, harder," she moaned her complaint, squirming back against him in protest at his slow torture of her body. _

"_You mean like this?" he growled suddenly adding another finger to the two that were currently inside of her and pressing his thumb to her swollen nub, pushing more deeply into her._

"_EJ!" she screamed his name as she came fully awake now, letting go of his head and clutching frantically at the bed sheets in front of her as her body spasmed against such intense sensation. _

"_Is that what you wanted?" he pressed her for an answer, his voice rough now at seeing her growing arousal, "Do you feel good sweetheart?"_

"_So good!" she panted helplessly, "Don't stop!" _

_EJ wasn't about to stop now, increasing his speed and depth of penetrations so much so that it was only took another minute or so before she was moaning almost hysterically under his touch. Sami grabbed at the sheets and buried her face in them to muffle the sounds of yet another noisy climax by his hand. She'd barely finished when she felt him withdraw his fingers from her and push her legs further apart before she felt him entering into her in one hard thrust. No man had ever filled her like he did and she shook her head hopelessly against how good his possession of her felt. _

"_You're so sexy!" he groaned into her ear, his hand going to her breast and grabbing at her nipple almost roughly but she didn't care, everything he did just felt so damn good! _

_It was like he'd read some instruction manual on her that made him privy to every little thing that would send her into a frenzy of delight! She could feel how worked up she'd gotten him and she'd barely touched him, only a few kisses really and yet she could feel his desperation in his almost frenzied thrusting into her body. His strokes were so forceful that he was pressing her harder and harder into the mattress with each one and her body welcomed it shamelessly. Too soon she could feel herself tightening around him, her body beginning to bear down helplessly on him, shuddering helplessly. She felt him grab her hip, holding her still until he was done with her as she and she could feel how tightly coiled his body was behind her and knew that he was almost there._

"_So good!" he was moaning uncontrollably now, "You feel so good around me sweetheart, I love being inside you so much!"_

Samantha stumbled on the treadmill, the combination of so much friction on her already sensitised nether regions and the memory of that encounter and the way he'd released himself so totally into her had it's inevitable conclusion. Sami gasped helplessly as her wayward body betrayed her and she could feel the small explosions rip through her from her core, radiating out to the rest of her body. With some mammoth amount of effort she managed to hit the stop button on the treadmill but it wasn't quite enough to avert disaster altogether because between her orgasm and all that running her legs were not exactly the most reliable they'd ever been and she felt them buckle under her and she kind of half fell, half slid off the treadmill and onto a rather ignominious heap on the floor.

"Samantha!" she heard EJ cry out in horror as she tumbled backwards and lay there sprawled out on the floor.

Almost immediately EJ's concerned face was above her along with a couple of other helpful gym members.

Was there _no end _in sight to the humiliations this day had in store for her??!!

"Are you alright?" asked EJ worriedly, crouching down beside her and placing his hand on her shoulder, "What happened, did you hurt yourself?"

"I'm fine," she mumbled in embarrassment, "I just… fell."

"Do you need us to get one of the staff for you, do you need to see a doctor?" asked one of the concerned bystanders kindly.

"No, no!" she said hastily, "I'm perfectly alright, I don't need to see anyone."

"She's my wife," said EJ with a smile, "Thanks for your concern but I've got it from here."

"Sure no problem."

The good Samaritans drifted away leaving just the two of them now.

"What happened Samantha?" asked EJ with a little frown, helping her up and guiding her to a nearby sit up bench.

"I just got a cramp," she told him which wasn't a complete untruth in a way.

"Which leg?" asked EJ, squatting down beside her rather solicitously, cupping both of her calves in each hand, massaging them gently to try and rub out her 'cramp'.

"It's gone now!" she blurted out, not at all liking the way he was kneeling between her legs and touching her so confidently - it brought back too many memories from last night and that was the last thing she needed right now.

"Samantha?" said EJ quizzically, tilting his head and narrowing his eyes a little as he scrutinised her more closely now.

There was something decidedly… familiar… in the way her skin was so flushed, her pupils so dilated and the way she was trembling under his hands.

"Samantha?" he repeated her name but there was a dawning comprehension on his face that was at war with disbelief, "Did you just… were you having…"

"I'm thirsty!" she announced way more loudly then was necessary but needing to stop him from finishing that sentence more than anything else in the world.

She jumped up and pushed past him and she could feel his speculative gaze on her as she made a mad dash for the refreshment area. Sami fully expected him to follow her and almost cried with relief when he didn't - of all the conversations she didn't want to have today that one just made the top of the list! Sami didn't even know such a thing was possible and wouldn't have believed it if she hadn't just had it happen to her. It was like there were two Sami's - one just regular old Sami and the other that was a complete hell cat. Maybe she'd developed some kind of multiple personality disorder overnight. The thought actually cheered Sami up until she realised that she must me in dire straights when having a mental illness was actually the better of option!

Sami gave a despondent sigh, realising she couldn't stay hidden in the little café forever. She got up and hesitantly poked her head around the corner but was relieved to see that EJ seemed to have left already. Well now that he was gone she didn't have to rush off so maybe a quiet sauna would help calm her jangled nerves. A little sit down and a lot of steam sounded like a good idea to Sami all of a sudden and with a bit of luck - which lets face it, she was owed some today - she'd have the room all to herself and could just do some much needed thinking.

Five minutes later Sami had changed into a white fluffy towel and was walking into the sauna. A smile broke out on Sami's face for the first time today - it was empty - at last a change of fortune. She took a couple of steps inside the hot little room only to hear the door open behind her and she rolled her eyes in frustration - so close and yet so far! Sami turned around with a forced pleasant smile on her face which froze in a rather frightening way when she saw who it was.

"Oh come _on_!" she complained loudly to the gods of fate and threw up her hands in frustration.

EJ stood there looking back at her, a white towel draped around his hips and nothing else except an impish grin on his lips.

"Hello sweetheart," he said happily, "Small world eh?"


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter SEVEN**

"What are you doing here?!" Sami scowled at him in annoyance.

"Whew, deja vu!" laughed EJ, "Haven't we done this already today darling?"

"Why can't you just leave me alone?" she complained.

"I was worried about you," he told her taking a couple of steps into the room and thinking how cute she looked when she pouted.

"I'm fine," she growled, "I keep telling you - I don't want or need your concern."

"Hmm," said EJ seeming to consider her words, "So what is it exactly is it that you do want… or need then sweetheart?"

"Peace and quiet!" she snapped at him, not liking how he was looking at her and feeling her body betray her already with a sudden dampness between her legs which had nothing to do with their steamy surrounds.

What was wrong with her - how could one raised eyebrow from him get her this worked up, it was madness!

"I just wanted to check that you are over your… _cramp_ from earlier?" he mused, "How is that… _cramp_ going by the way? Feeling better… no after affects from that… _cramp_ at all?"

Sami closed her eyes in a kind of resigned horror. The way he was pausing so deliberately and using the word 'cramp' over and over again let her know that he knew exactly what had happened to her on that treadmill which she supposed was the point of him bringing it up.

"Are you done?" she asked him opening her eyes and pressing her lips together in annoyance.

"Are you?" he turned the question back on her, wriggling his eyebrows at her suggestively.

"EJ," she began warningly.

"If it makes you feel any better I had a rather similar experience in my office earlier today," he told her, his grin widening.

"You did?" she asked startled.

"Mm," he said, "It could have gotten a bit awkward between Nicole and I there for awhile."

EJ knew he was waving a red flag at a bull so to speak and he wasn't to be disappointed.

"Nicole!" raged Sami, "What exactly _were_ you doing with that bony witch in your office?!"

"So which part exactly of last nights Olympic tryouts were you remembering when you… _cramped_ on the treadmill?" he asked her with great interest, ignoring her question altogether.

"Who says I was thinking about you at all?!" she baited him with a goading look.

"You weren't?" said EJ, taken aback.

Such a thought had never occurred to him because from the first moment he'd met Samantha she was the only woman in his fantasies, the only woman that occupied his thoughts every waking moment and his dreams every sleeping one. The thought that she might have actually been thinking about someone other than him on that treadmill to cause her that kind of pleasure was like a physical pain. Some primal male instinct surged to the surface and he couldn't help himself. He stalked over to her, grabbing her arms tightly, not enough to bruise but enough to let Sami know he wasn't playing anymore. Sami's eyes widened at his sudden change of mood.

"Well if not me then who was in your thoughts sweetheart?" his tone was suddenly hard as he pulled her close to him, forcing her to crane her head back to look him in the eye as he loomed over her.

Sami sucked in a startled breath at the raw jealousy she saw in his face never having believed for one moment that he would take her seriously about anyone other than him occupying her thoughts lately. What must he think of her to so readily accept her words at face value? Then she remembered the time after they'd first been married, her and Lucas sneaking off together. He'd known, of course he'd known but things had been different then, he was different and she was certainly different.

"EJ… I…" she stumbled to find the words to make this right again but he didn't seem interested in what she had to say.

"Maybe I just need to remind you what it is I can make your body do," he growled in her ear, interrupting her halting words, "What it was that you were begging me for more of last night."

At this point Sami seriously didn't need any kind of reminder, especially with him this close to her. His body felt like a coiled spring, tight and angry from her careless words. The steam from the sauna had condensed on his tanned skin, droplets of water clinging to the light smattering of chest hair before they dribbled down the many sharp angles and planes of his leanly muscled body. His normally chocolate coloured eyes were so dark that they were almost black now, evidence of his anger and growing arousal that she could feel pressing against her stomach. Sami shook her head weakly at him, regretting having caused him pain even though that had been her intention.

"No?" he questioned her, his voice low, misunderstanding the shake of her head, thinking she was denying their mutual attraction and determined to prove her wrong.

He began to move forward, forcing her to walk backwards with him until she felt her back hit up against the hard wall of the sauna. He held her there with the force of his presence, one hand beside her head as he leant over her, the other going to the front of her towel. He held her gaze and then very deliberately pulled on the material, tugging it free from where Sami had tucked it back on to itself to secure it in place. The now damp material dropped to the ground with a squelching sound that neither of them even noticed. His eyes raked her body hungrily and it seemed to Sami that she could actually feel him touching her with his avid gaze.

"Now mine," he whispered the order into her ear as he leant closer to her but still not touching her, holding his body just away from hers.

Sami didn't even question her willingness to comply, she needed to see him, all of him and knew she was going to do whatever it was he told her to do. There was something darkly arousing in letting him take such total control of her like this, it was unfamiliar and incredibly sexy somehow. Her hand went to his towel, tucked around his long waist and she pulled on it with shaking hands. It joined it's mate on the floor in a damp heap. Samantha bit her lip at seeing him fully exposed, his obvious arousal matching her own more discretely hidden one. EJ watched the play of emotions on her face as she admired his body and felt himself harden even more.

"Touch me," he told her, his tone brooking no argument, "Touch my body Samantha."

She reached out with both hands, resting her palms on his muscled chest. It was hot and slick under her hands, a combination of steam and sweat coating his body. Sami could feel his heart hammering away erratically under her right palm belying his outwardly calm looking exterior.

"Lower," he instructed her, his eyelids drooping a little now as she obeyed.

Down her hands drifted, across his rib cage, down his sharply defined stomach muscles, feeling them clench tighter under her hand, making them rock hard.

"Lower," he repeated but this time his voice was rougher, his breath more uneven and she felt her core tighten in response to the sound.

She wrapped both hands around the hard length of his arousal and he could no longer maintain the façade of casualness, hissing noisily at the sensation of being touched so intimately by her, his neck muscles straining as he fought to remain still under her ministrations.

"Harder?" she whispered the question to him, her first word since they started.

EJ closed his eyes tightly and mutely nodded his head, gritting his teeth as she tightened her grip on his member and began to pump slowly up and down. Now it was her turn to watch him, seeing as well as hearing the little gasps and grunts he made as she worked on his body.

"Stop," he ordered her after a minute or two and Sami found herself reluctant to but he made her, encircling her wrists and stretching her arms up above her head, trapping them there.

She could feel how tensely he was holding his body and she wanted all of that hardness pressed up against her, fitting her softness perfectly and providing her with the friction she was beginning to need more than her next breath itself. EJ watched as she writhed uncomfortably against the wall, knew what she was craving because he was craving the same thing.

"Tell me what you want Samantha."

"You," she gasped, he hadn't even touched her yet but she wanted him, needed him desperately to relieve the agony of want he'd created in her body.

"Who am I?" he coached her, his voice rasping the question to her.

"EJ," she moaned, finding the waiting for his touch becoming unbearable.

"EJ who?" he pushed her.

"DiMera," she gasped, writhing against the wall, trying to find some kind of relief from his torture of her, "EJ DiMera!"

"Tell me what you want Samantha," again he asked the question of her, unrelenting in his insistence.

"EJ please!" she groaned desperately, unable to take much more of this.

"Tell me Samantha!" he ordered her, his voice harsh from the control it was taking to hold her so determinedly in place, wanting his answer despite the way his body was screaming at him to finish this, "What do you want!"

"EJ DiMera!" she cried out hopelessly, shaking her head from side to side in anguish, "I want EJ DiMera! Oh god please! I want EJ DiMera!!"

Hearing his full name on her lips like that, shouting out her need for him broke the last of EJ's control and he instantly let go of her wrists and catching her as she slid down the walls, her legs no longer seemingly capable of holding her up anymore. EJ captured her backside in both hands and lifted her feet off the ground and she immediately wrapped her legs around his waist which enable him to push into her dripping tight heat in one swift motion.

"_Samantha!"_

"_EJ!"_

They both cried out together, the sense of completion at his penetration catching them both off guard. She'd barely adjust to his hardness before he began thrusting up into her with such a fierce rhythm that she whimpered her gratitude at his eagerness. Sami felt one of his hands leave her waist which he was currently securing her against the wall with so she could take the almost ferocious penetrations she was enjoying from his relentless stiffness. EJ cupped her breast, stimulating her nipple with his thumb and she gasped at the sensation.

"Mine!" he grunted, marking his territory, "Your mine, no one else's! Say it!"

"I'm yours!" she groaned loudly, unable to do anything but considering the sensations he was wrenching from her body, "I'm EJ DiMera's!"

Her proclamation ended it for him and with a final couple of frantic thrusts she felt him begin to empty himself into her, shuddering helplessly against her as he moaned her name continuously. She held onto him tightly, arms around his neck until he was finally done, kissing his face and mouth as he came back down to earth. He blinked blearily a couple of times, trying to focus on her face after such a powerful release.

"Did you come?" he asked her softly with a little frown, his voice so rough now to be unrecognisable.

He'd been so consumed by her that for once he hadn't been sure if she'd found her own end along with his.

"It doesn't matter," she said dreamily, still tingling head to toe from what he'd done to her, so much so that she honestly didn't care if she orgasmed or not.

"It always matters," he told her throatily with a little wicked smile which she found just enough energy to laugh at.

EJ let her slid down the wall until her feet were on the ground again and reluctantly withdrew from her, they both grimaced at the feeling of loss his leaving her body caused them. When he was sure she could stand up by herself EJ crouched in front of her and looked up at her with such a bad boy smile that she bit her lip, trembling in anticipation. She _loved_ when he did this for her and by the look on his face so did he.

He picked up one of her legs and moved it so it was over his shoulder, exposing her up to his rapt attention. Then she actually saw him lick his lips before grabbing her butt cheeks in both hands and burying his face between her thighs, instantly seeking out her throbbing centre. Sami went up on tip toes, covering her mouth with one hand to stifle her moans and grabbing a hook above her head with the other, needing something to grab onto all of a sudden as his skilful tongue went to work.

This was _not_ going to take very long at all!

Hours later at the mansion Sami sat folding laundry in the parlour and stewing away silently to herself. Her mother and John had gone out to dinner, the twins were fast asleep and Rolf was wherever Rolf went when he wasn't needed. EJ sat across from her on the sofa, surrounded by papers, working away quietly. Sami studied him through her lashes unobserved. He just seemed so… calm, so normal sitting there reading papers and writing notes.

_Just how the hell was he doing that again?! _

She knew his look of absorption wasn't just an act for her benefit because he kept making those stupid clicking noises in the back of his throat which meant he really was thinking hard about what Sami could only assume was Nicole's divorce case seeing as he didn't have any other clients yet. She on the other hand had just realised that she'd folded the same set of clothing twice now, just moving it from one side of her to the other without even noticing! She was going crazy and this just had to stop, Sami honestly couldn't take it anymore. She needed to get this thing back on an even keel.

"EJ?"

"Mmm," he answered her distractedly, not looking up.

"Do you have a minute?" asked Sami, her hands twitching nervously.

"For you?" said EJ, looking up then and peering at her over the top of his glasses and smiling, "Always."

"We have to talk," said Sami, determinedly ignoring the fluttering in her stomach that one of his smiles caused her nowadays.

"And what would you like to talk about eh Samantha?" said EJ easily, "World politics, global warming, why airplane food is always so difficult to get into?"

"Us," said Sami flatly, seeing he was in a playful mood and realising that this was going to be even harder than she thought, "I want to talk about us EJ."

"Excellent," said EJ happily, "Let's do that then. What do you want to say about 'us' sweetheart?"

EJ watched Sami draw herself up, back straightening, shoulders back, obviously ready for a fight. He'd known this was coming and wasn't concerned - he had a strategy and this was just another step closer to his ultimate goal - her.

"I know things have been…" Sami searched for the right word, "… confusing lately and I just wanted to make sure we both we're on the same page about the… events… of last night and… ah… earlier today."

"Right," said EJ slowly, "And what might that page be darling?"

Sami began to fidget fretfully, starting a halting explanation of how she saw things.

"It's been an emotional time lately and that whole thing with Mr Burke and that interview… well feelings were running high and…"

EJ listened to her nervous ramblings as she tried desperately to explain away the events of the last 24 hours. An anxious blush had started to pinken her skin and EJ realised to his chagrin that he never did find out exactly how far that delightful flush extended. Next time he promised himself although if he listened to Sami's disjointed statements there wasn't going to be a next time but at this point he was happy enough for her to think that. His eyes fluttered down to her more than ample bust line well displayed in a tight fitting V-necked sweater and some very satisfying memories came to him of what he'd had the pleasure of doing to those hidden treasures in recent times.

He'd always enjoyed Samantha's breast long before he'd been given him such free reign with them. One of the great things about being so tall was that he had a very good birds eye view so to speak of that particular part of her anatomy which he used shamelessly to his advantage. He'd always seen a great deal more than he suspected Sami ever intended thanks to his height advantage. It more than made up for the difficulty he had in finding pants that could fit his long legs - a small price to pay really.

"… and then things start to get confusing and all of a sudden…"

She was still going but EJ didn't mind. Sami obviously needed to get all of this off her rather enchanting chest and he was fine with that. Besides, there were plenty of other things he could think about - like how responsive she was to his every touch, how she seemed to know exactly what it was he needed her to do to drive him into paroxysms of delight. And her sex drive, oh god don't get him started! He'd never been with anyone with such a hair trigger in that department and it was beyond exciting. EJ had suspected as much from that very first kiss they'd shared on the eve of her almost wedding to Austin when she'd woken up raring to go as it was. But the reality far exceeded even his wildest dreams - and his dreams had been pretty wild - and to think it was all so near to being his…

"EJ! Are you even listening to me?!"

EJ blinked rapidly a couple of times and then answered her without missing a beat. He'd perfected the art of ogling her and thinking evil thoughts whilst still being able to maintain a conversation with her long ago. He'd had to - it was a matter of survival!

"Of course sweetheart," he said smoothly, "You just said that this changes nothing and we should go back to the way things have always been between us."

"That's right," she said in surprise because she really didn't think he'd been listening to her, "So…"

"So?" EJ repeated the question back to her with a tilt of his head.

"So do you have anything to add, anything you want to say at all?" she asked him in frustration.

"Only that I agree whole heartedly," he said simply.

"You… you do?" she asked in amazement.

"Absolutely," he agreed calmly.

"_You_ agree that we should forget about the last day or so and just get back to normal?" she quizzed him sceptically.

"Of course," he said calmly, "Just because we had sex several times last night and rather memorably in the gym today doesn't mean that we're not as fake married as we ever were."

"That's right," she said weakly.

_Why was he making this so easy for her?_

"It will never happen again," he said breezily, "I understand that. It was fun while it lasted but now it's over and we should just move on - no harm done."

"What are you doing?" she asked warily.

"I'm agreeing with you," he told her happily.

"Why?" she pushed, eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"Because you made some very good points earlier," he told her seeming very genuine.

"You weren't even listening to me before!" she refuted his claim.

"Darling I listen to every word that drops from those luscious lips of yours," said EJ with a grin.

"There!" exclaimed Sami, "Right there! That's my point - you can't be flirting with me like that! That's what I'm saying!"

"Sweetheart that isn't flirting," he dismissed her protest easily, "I'm merely stating fact. Now if I was flirting I might say something along the lines of how beautiful you look tonight or how enjoyable it is to watch you walk around in those jeans you're wearing, how they turn your leaving a room into quite the event…"

Sami flushed bright red and opened her mouth to protest but he forestalled her.

"But of course I won't mention any of those things," he continued on smoothly before she could interrupt, "Because we've just agreed to keep this thing strictly platonic… isn't that right?"

"Yes," said Sami, completely off balance now.

He was agreeing with her, she was getting her own way so why was it then that Sami felt like he'd won that round somehow?

"So we're of one accord then," said EJ calmly, "We've both blown off a little steam, no pun intended, but we're both grown ups so I'm certain we can be adult enough to put this little deviation from the norm behind us and move on. That's what you want isn't it Samantha?"

"That is exactly what I want," she said and hoped that came out not as uncertain as she was suddenly feeling.

"Great," said EJ happily, "Good talk!"

He then promptly returned to reading his paperwork, seeming to be summarily dismissing her. Sami opened and closed her mouth a couple of times, feeling like she should be adding something but they'd said it all right, what else was there to say? She'd gotten what she wanted but if that was the case why was she feeling so deflated. After his possessiveness at the gym she'd expected him to be harder to convince then this. It was almost like that EJ had disappeared into the mists of the steam room and she was left with this extremely accommodating man who seemed to have no problem with completely stopping the burgeoning physical aspect of their relationship. And she hated admitting it but her female pride was wounded by how easily he seemed to be able to turn his attraction to her off and on.

"I'm going to check on the twins!" she huffed and he looked up at her with slight surprise at her sudden shortness of manner.

"Alright," he told her, "I'll be up soon to steal some kisses."

She gave him her best warning look despite the way her heart skipped at beat at the thought of more of his truly awe inspiring kisses.

"From the twins Samantha," he finished mockingly, seeing her expression and guessing correctly that she'd jumped to the wrong conclusion and so readily, "I'll be up to kiss the _twins_ goodnight when I'm done here."

"I know," she said defensively, trying to bluff her way out of her embarrassing slip up, "Just don't be too long!"

"I won't be," he said mildly, watching her flounce from the room and very definitely enjoying the view as she left.

As soon as she was gone he let the giant smile that he'd been hiding from her split his face. He bit his lip and shook his head, delighted at how well this was going. The look on her face when he talked about the kisses - priceless!

He was _so_ back in this game it wasn't funny!

"Tick tock my darling," he murmured to himself smugly, "You're running out of places to hide from the truth… it's only a matter of time now."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter EIGHT**

Sami rolled out of bed and gave an unhappy grunt - morning again already so why was it she felt more tired now then she did before she went to sleep? She had glanced at the clock - 6:26am, she should have some time to have a quick coffee and compose herself before the Johnny and Ali show began for the day. Once they were on deck it was pretty much over for Sami in the way of 'me' time.

She trudged down the stairs moodily reflecting on how she got to be here. It was two weeks since she and EJ had reached an understanding… two weeks and two days actually but she was _totally_ not counting! He hadn't made one single overture, one single inappropriate advance except for his usual playful flirting since that day, not one. Sami couldn't believe it - every night she lay awake in her bed, half expecting any minute for him to suddenly materialise under some pretext and worm her way back into her bed but he didn't.

At first Sami figured he was just toying with her but now she was beginning to think that he _could_ actually turn it on and off that easily and now that he'd had a taste he just wasn't interested any more! The thought made her angrier than she ever thought she could be with him but what burned her the most was she couldn't even yell at him about it because technically he wasn't doing anything wrong. In fact he was doing exactly what she'd asked of him and it was completely pissing her off!

She was tired from looking after the twins and then not getting enough sleep because she was on tender hooks waiting for EJ to suddenly appear and when she did manage to get to sleep - well her dreams weren't exactly what could be described as restful at the moment. Far too much sweating, heaving bodies occupying her dream to be called anywhere near that. She needed coffee and she needed it now. Sami pushed open the kitchen door and gave an unhappy huff at seeing who was already there.

"Hey Johnny look!" said EJ cheerfully, leaning down to talk to his son who was sitting up in his high chair, "Mummy is up!"

He then looked her up and down, taking in her bed hair, pillow face and dishevelled pyjamas.

"… in a manner of speaking," he finished with a grin, "Good morning sweetheart, sleep well?"

"Like a baby," grimaced a smile at him and then a real one lit her face for their son, "Hello baby boy, how are you today?"

Johnny grinned and waved his arms excitedly at the sight of his mother and Sami walked over and gave him a kiss.

"He's wearing one of Ali's shirts," said Sami with a slight frown.

"Well he was up earlier than Ali so I thought I'd dress him quickly to bring him downstairs before he woke up his sister so I didn't bother turning on a light," explained EJ, "I figured I'd get at least one of them out the way for you before I have to go to work. Besides, I don't think Ali will mind sharing."

"The shirt is pink," Sami pointed out flatly.

"Samantha," tutted EJ as he mashed up some banana, "I don't think our son should feel the pressure to conform to such arbitrary social stereotypes like that. Look at me, I've got a few pink shirts and ties and I make no apologies for it. Besides, both Johnny and I are man enough to pull it off aren't we my boy?"

EJ winked teasingly at his son then and even though Johnny didn't understand what EJ was saying he seemed to realise that his father was asking for his support so he gave a happy squeal and emphatic head nod.

"There you go," said EJ triumphantly, "Johnny agrees with me."

"It also says '_Little Princess_' on the back," she continued on, arching a challenging eyebrow at him.

EJ eyebrows shot up and he quickly checked out the back of Johnny's shirt to find that Sami was indeed correct, emblazoned across the back in sparkly letters were the words "Little Princess".

"Ahh," conceded EJ with a rueful grin and wrinkling his nose at Johnny, "Now _that_ might be a little harder to pull off eh? Maybe a change of shirt might be the order of the day after all."

Sami shook her head at them both, trying hard not to find the interaction between father and son endearing and failing miserably. She walked over and filled up the kettle and set it on the stove to heat the water for her coffee and then got out cups as she waited. Waiting for the water to boil she watched EJ attempt to get the last of the banana he'd mashed into his son with varying degrees of success.

"He's just not as into the whole banana thing as Ali is, is he?" observed Sami idly watching yet another mouthful of unrecognisable goo hit the ground.

"Our girl's got a sweet tooth alright," agreed EJ, giving up and wiping down Johnny with a wet cloth, "Or rather sweet gums seeing as no teeth yet."

Sami watched EJ move on from cleaning up Johnny to the high chair and the floor which the baby had managed to cover in banana also.

"You're up early," she commented, making her cup of coffee and his usual morning cup of tea for him.

"Early meeting," he informed her from where he was crouched on the floor.

"Don't tell me let me guess," said Sami bitterly, "Nicole!"

The way she said the other woman's name it was as though she threw up a little in her mouth when she was saying it.

"Yes Samantha," said EJ patiently, "Nicole - hers is quite a complicated case as you know."

"Well just make sure you wash your hands well after being around that trailer trash," snapped Sami, "I don't want you bringing home any germs to the babies."

"Aren't babies dirtier than adults?" John posed the question as he strolled into the kitchen, dressed for the days work already.

"Not _my_ babies!" snapped Sami, "And certainly not in comparison to that piece of skanky…"

"Ah ah ah," cautioned EJ with a finger to his lips and a nod to Johnny, "Let's get our son at least out of nappies before we teach him profanities eh darling?"

Sami closed her mouth with an audible snap but still had a very unhappy look on her face.

"Here," she said, practically shoving the tea she'd made at EJ.

"Why thank you sweetheart," said EJ with a warm, only slightly ironic, smile, "You're too kind."

"Don't get too excited," she grumped moodily at him, "I only boiled water, it's not like I'm giving you a kidney."

"You also put a teabag in it," pointed out EJ, not to be put off.

"Yes," said Sami with a saccharine sweet smile, "But I didn't wash the cup!"

"Oh well," smirked EJ, taking a sip regardless, "Whatever doesn't kill us only makes us stronger eh darling?"

Sami just wanted to hit him, the more strung out and frustrated she got, the more relaxed and easy going he seemed to get. It was driving her crazy!

"Do you want a coffee John?" she asked, deciding if she didn't have something to do with her hands someone was going to be having that grin smacked off their face pretty darn soon.

"I don't know," said John seeming to consider the offer, "Do I get a clean cup or is it going to be served out of a bin or something?"

Sami's eyes narrowed dangerously and she opened her mouth to give him an earful when Ali chose that moment to start crying.

"Duty calls," said John, "Don't worry about it, I'll make my own coffee."

"Whatever!" snapped Sami, swooping down and picking up Johnny, "I'll change his shirt while I'm at it."

"Fine sweetheart," said EJ but she was already out the door and stomping down the hallway.

"So what's up with wifey?" asked John as he poured himself a coffee into a clean mug.

EJ leaned back against the kitchen bench and gave a rueful grin.

"She's fine," he told his Uncle as he took a sip of his tea, "She's just channelling one of the lesser known dwarfs at the moment - Cranky."

"If you ask me the dwarfs name is Horny not Cranky," said John perfectly straight faced as he turned around to face his nephew, coffee in hand.

EJ half choked, half spluttered on his mouthful of tea at his Uncles words before bursting out laughing.

"Uncle John!" he exclaimed around his laughter.

"I'm just calling it as I see it," shrugged John unconcernedly, "Sexual frustration is like a plague of Biblical proportions in this house at the moment."

EJ bit on his lip and shook his head in amusement - the things this man said!

"Are we having a moment?" asked John suddenly, looking over at EJ with a look of detached interested on his face.

"I think we may well be," conceded EJ with an amazed nod of his head, "A strange, vaguely inappropriate moment but a moment none the less."

"That's… nice," said John in the same tone of voice that he used for everything else - flat.

"Yes," agreed EJ with a little smile, "It is isn't it Uncle."

"What are you two talking about?" asked Marlena a little suspiciously as she walked into the kitchen to find EJ and John deep in conversation.

"Children's classic," said John flatly.

"Really?" replied Marlena sceptically, looking between the two of them with narrowed eyes.

John's expression was characteristically blank but there was an impish amusement in the other man's eyes that made Marlena suspicious.

"Well," said EJ, putting down his now finished cup of tea, "I must be getting on - big day today."

"Why's that?" Marlena quizzically, pouring herself a cup of coffee and looking at EJ over the rim of it.

"What's with all the questions Blondie?" asked John suddenly, "Writing some kind of book we should know about?"

"No," said Marlena, fixing John with a calm smile, "I'm just interested in my son-in-laws day."

"Well thank you for that interest Marlena," smiled EJ, sensing now would be a good time to make his leave, "And as to your question… I don't know, it just feels like one of those 'big' kind of days if you know what I mean? Nothing specific."

"Right," said Marlena slowly, having no idea what he was talking about but letting it go.

EJ gave an inclination of his head and left the older couple to their morning, heading up the stairs to get ready to go to the office. He hadn't just been making conversation when he'd referred to today being a big one. The pit of his stomach tightened nervously, knowing everything he'd been working on for the last two weeks was about to come to fruition. EJ also knew that he had a bit of a rough patch ahead of him but he determinedly kept his eye on the prize - which was Samantha of course, always Samantha. He was taking a big gamble, he knew that, but every new day he spent with Sami made him realise that it was one that simply had to pay off.

Living without her was no real option anymore.

Mid afternoon that same day Sami's mood hadn't improved any. EJ had left so early for the office and the thought of him spending so much time with that bleached cow Nicole… Sami's hand tightened around the drink she was holding as her anger started to increase. She couldn't help but wonder if EJ's seemingly effortless ability to return to their previously chaste relationship was because he was getting it somewhere else. The thought of Nicole's hands or any other part of her scrawny ass body being on EJ made her skin crawl and her want to kill them both!

"Cheez ball."

Sami pulled her head back and scowled at the plate of hors d'oeuvres being thrust under her nose by Rolf.

"What is it with you and appetisers these days?" she questioned him in annoyance.

"He's had worse hobbies," pointed out John as he walked by and poured himself a scotch.

"I guess," Sami grudgingly admitted, rolling her eyes, "So these cheese balls are made with cheese that was made from cow's milk right… it's not like rat or dog milk or something disgusting like that is it?"

"No Zamantha," said Rolf calmly, never seeming to take offence at what people said to him, "It eez defunatley the cheez of the cow."

"Okay," said Samantha dubiously and picked up one and put it in her mouth and rather surprisingly it wasn't bad.

Mind control/resurrection abilities, willing minion for the criminally insane and now preparer of not half bad bite size treats - his resume was really starting to fill out!

Sami finished her mouthful and reached for another, suddenly realising that she hadn't had lunch and that she was getting hungry. The door bell sounded and Rolf scurried off to answer it diligently. Sami turned to face John as he sipped at his drink.

"I don't know why it is you keep that guy here," she said to him, "He's so creepy."

"Rolf has his uses," said John unapologetically.

"Yeah well," said Sami dryly, popping the cheese ball she'd taken from Rolf before he went to answer the door into her mouth and continuing to talk, "He's going to have to make a lot of these babies to even begin to make up for what he's done to this family."

"I can't believe how much I've missed you baby."

Sami's head shot round at the sound of the familiar voice and she spun around to face the doorway from which the statement had come.

"Lucas!" she gasped, wide eyed but her sudden intake of breath meant that the cheese ball she'd just put in her mouth got lodged somewhere in the back of her throat and she began to choke on it.

Sami started to cough and splutter but then John reached out and casually gave her a hard slap on the back dislodging the offending cheesy item and it shot out of Sami's mouth and bounced across the floor, stopping just short of Lucas' feet.

"Sami!" said Lucas in horror, taking a step towards her, "Are you alright?"

"What are you doing here!" she spluttered, her face red from not just her near choking experience, "Oh god Lucas, tell me you haven't broken out of jail!"

"Of course I haven't Sami," said Lucas with a shake of his head, "I've been paroled, I'm a free man."

"But… how… when… why didn't I know about any of this?" she stuttered, unable to comprehend that Lucas was standing there in the middle of the DiMera mansion as large as life.

"I wanted to surprise you honey," said Lucas with an excited grin walking up to her and wrapping his arms around her.

"Mission accomplished," said John emotionlessly and then more loudly, "ROLF!"

Rolf almost instantly appeared from around the corner, so much it was hard not to believe that he'd been standing there listening in the whole time.

"Appetizer malfunction," said John, inclining his head and indicating the now defunct and furry cheese ball on the floor.

"Very good master," said Rolf and retrieved the offending snack with a napkin from the floor, "Vould anyone be vanting any zing else at all?"

"Nothing that goes in your mouth," said John expressionlessly, "Let's not tempt fate."

Sami stood stock still in Lucas' arms, so shocked that she couldn't find any words as she numbly returned his embrace.

Lucas was back.

Holy crap.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter NINE**

EJ paused in front of the front doors of the DiMera Mansion, taking a deep breath before entering the great unknown on the other side of the heavy door. He'd had confirmation earlier in the day that today had indeed been the day of Lucas' release from prison as he'd been assured. It had taken some fancy footwork and all of his lawyer skill's but he'd managed it. Normally they'd didn't let men convicted of attempted murder out quite that easily but when it was the man's victim doing the campaigning… well it made for quite the compelling case.

He knew that Lucas would have come straight here to see Samantha and he'd spent the day determinedly keeping away and occupying his thoughts with working through every possible scenario that he might return home to this evening. Thinking things through like that made EJ feel as though he had all the angles covered but then there was always a wild card somewhere in the mix when it came to his Samantha. Well, this wasn't getting him any closer to his ultimate goal he decided, just standing there in the growing dark so he just took another deep breath and opened the door, walking into the house.

Rather surprisingly all three members of his extended family were standing in the hallway as he entered and they all turned to look at him as one as he entered, all. They all had totally different expressions on their faces. John's was one of curious interest, Marlene's was one of worried concern and Sami's, well Sami had so many expressions fighting for a place that EJ gave up trying to pick one. Okay - scenario 26 on his list - he could handle this.

"Good evening all," he said calmly, smiling back at them as though it was any other day.

"Nephew."

"EJ."

John and Marlena acknowledged his greeting but Sami had yet to do so. She was just standing there, holding Ali and staring at him.

"How was everyone's day?" he asked cheerfully.

"EJ," said Sami tersely, "Can you help me put Ali down please?"

"Of course sweetheart," said EJ with a smile, wrinkling his nose at the little girl, "Where's Johnny?"

"He's already in bed," she said shortly, "He was up so early this morning that he crashed early."

EJ held out his hands to the baby and Ali went willing to him, gurgling happily. Sami started to walk up the stairs, clump up the stairs really and he gave a rueful look at the others before following her up, carrying Ali with him. EJ made sure that he was a couple of steps behind Sami as she trudged up the stairs, her unhappiness evident with every heavy foot fall but he didn't care because right now he had a very up close and personal view of her incredibly enticing derrière.

Oh god she had the best wiggle in her walk _ever_ EJ decided as he stared shamelessly at her arse as they walked up the steps together. If Sami hadn't been so preoccupied with being annoyed EJ thought she might have suspected what it was he was doing but he was more than happy that she was so distracted that he could continue his enjoyment of her assets without fear of being found out.

It had _not_ been an easy two weeks.

Pretending he had absolutely no physical interest in her had practically brought him to tears on several occasions. One of those more notable occasions being when she'd just finished bathing the twins and had emerged from the bathroom with her white shirt sopping wet and leaving absolutely _nothing_ to the imagination! The wet fabric had clung to every curve of those breasts that he was so fixated with and it took all of his strength not to fall at her feet and beg her to let him make love to her right there and then!

That had been a close call - a very close call indeed.

Kind of like now really mused EJ.

If he wanted to he could just move his head a few inches and sink his teeth into that luscious bottom right now and it was a very appealing thought. Sami did not know how lucky she was that she'd given him Ali to hold otherwise things could be taking a very sudden turn right about now. Even when they reached the top of the stairs EJ couldn't seem to tear his eyes off her backside, continuing to trail behind deliberately and enjoying immensely the way her hips swayed back and forth so enticingly as she led the way to her bedroom.

He remembered that night in her bed, when he'd had has hands on that glorious arse, the way she'd whimpered as he squeezed and kneaded it, pulling her closer to his ever growing…

"AHHH!" EJ gave a strangled cry as, yet again, his head connected with the chin up bar in her room.

He'd been so intent on watching her bum that he hadn't noticed that they were already in her room and he'd walked straight into _that_ bar without even thinking about it. EJ swallowed the expletive that he wanted to vent for the benefit of his daughter who thought this latest trick of Daddy's was hysterical and was giving great belly laughs of approving laughter.

"Think that's funny do you, you little minx?" growled EJ in mock anger, "Well you're your mothers daughter I'll give you that."

"Are you serious?" said Sami in annoyance, "What is up with you and that bar?"

"It is extremely low Samantha," he said in his defence, rubbing his head ruefully as Ali still chuckled away.

"Well Lucas didn't seem to have any problem," she said flatly and then her eyes widened, suddenly realising what that must sound like.

"Not… not that we did…" she stammered, her cheeks reddening as she hurried to explain even though she wasn't sure why she felt like she had to, "I mean we just came up here for some privacy… you know with Ali… it wasn't like anything happened… I wouldn't… I mean… "

"It's fine Samantha," said EJ evenly, "You don't have to explain anything to me."

_Thank god she explained otherwise he would have been left with no option but to go to Lucas' and kill the little toe rag with his bare hands!_

Sami shifted her weight nervously from one foot to the other, oblivious of the fact that she'd just saved her ex-husbands life because EJ was giving a very convincing display of a man who really didn't seem to care one way or the other what she did with her ex-husband in her bedroom. If she'd had even an inkling of his thoughts she would have been prepared to pay way more than a penny for them!

Sami started to get annoyed then at his seeming total lack of interest in who she spent her time with and what she did. Where was the man that had backed her up against a sauna wall and tortured her body until she was screaming out his name as punishment for even joking about thinking about another man during the 'treadmill incident' she wondered?

But why did she even care?

Wasn't the whole point that she was trying to get out of this marriage with EJ and back to one with Lucas? Wasn't that why she wore Lucas' wedding ring around her neck all the time? She really should be grateful that she didn't have to fend off his advances - it was a good thing. No matter how hard Sami tried she just couldn't seem to convince herself that the growing devastation she was feeling wasn't from being married to the wrong man but rather that this 'wrong' man didn't seem to care if he was married to her or not anymore. Why did everything have to be so complicated - why couldn't she just be totally happy about Lucas being back?

Wait, Lucas, that's right, she'd brought EJ up here to yell at him about Lucas but had gotten side tracked with her wayward thoughts.

"Why didn't you tell me that you were organising to get Lucas paroled?" she demanded of him.

"I was under the impression that you wanted Lucas out of prison," said EJ mildly, "I thought you might even be pleased about it… you are pleased aren't you Samantha?"

"Of course I am!" she snapped, sounding anything but and then when she saw Ali's little face screw up a little at the harshness in her mother's voice Sami determinedly soften her tone, "Of course I am EJ - it was just such a shock - I didn't know what to think. I thought he'd escaped or something."

"Well now you know he didn't so you can get on with planning the rest of your life," he said evenly and then smiled down at Ali, jiggling her up and down to amuse her, "Can't she sweetheart, Mummy can get her life sorted out now eh?"

"I didn't realise my life was such a mess to begin with," said Sami numbly, feeling control of the situation slipping through her fingers yet again.

"Really?" said EJ in surprise, "I find that hard to believe darling when all you have done through out the entirety of this marriage was tell me how you were married to the wrong man, how much you wanted out and how unhappy you were."

"I know what I said," said Sami sharply, realising for the first time what it must have been like for him to hear her say those words to him over and over again.

She was ready to curl up into a ball and start crying just because he didn't seem to care about what she did with Lucas all of a sudden. Her whole understanding of the world and how things were was suddenly spiralling out of control!

"So did you, Lucas and Ali have a nice day today?" asked EJ mildly and he may as well have been asking her to pass the butter for all the emotion he was showing.

"Yes," she said shortly, "It was fine… great in fact."

"_Oh baby I've missed you guys so much," said Lucas walking into Sami's bedroom and not even noticing the chin up bar in the doorway, smiling at his daughter that Sami was holding, "She's gotten so big! I can't believe it."_

_Lucas went to take her from Sami but Ali shied away, nervous of this strange man._

"_Sorry," apologised Sami as the little girl buried her head in her neck, "It's just… well she was so little when you… ahh… you know - she just doesn't remember you."_

"_I know," said Lucas, trying to mask his pain at the child's rejection, "But all that's going to change soon, we're going to be a family again, this nightmare is almost over."_

_Sami gave a smile that she hoped didn't look as forced as it felt. For so long this was what she'd said was all that she wanted but now it was here it didn't feel anything like she thought it would._

"_Johnny will be up soon," said Sami, changing the subject slightly so she didn't have to think about such things right then._

"_Great," smiled Lucas, "Can't wait to see him._

_Sami nodded and smiled back but her smile slipped when Lucas took his eyes off her and went back to trying to cajole Ali into having a cuddle. There had been the barest hesitation in Lucas' response to her mention of Johnny. It had only been slight but the mother in Sami heard it. He thought of Johnny differently to Ali, Sami could hear it in his voice even though he tried to mask it. She'd never heard that hesitation in EJ's voice when he spoke about Ali. In fact she seemed to spend half her day reminding EJ not to get too attached, not to love her like she was his own. Somehow she didn't think she was going to have that problem with Lucas and Johnny and she had to bite her lip at such a painful thought. _

"_Hey," said Lucas, seeing her starting to well up, "Don't cry Sami, today is a happy day."_

"_I know," she said, valiantly trying to smile through her tears, "I know it is."_

"_I know this has been horrible for you baby," said Lucas, putting his arms around her and Ali even though Ali was still looking at him rather suspiciously, "I can't imagine what it must have been like living with that sick bastard all of this time but it's nearly over now. I'm going to get a place and get you and Ali out of here as soon as I can. You can burn that ring of his, put mine back on and we can put all this nightmare behind us. We can be the family that EJ DiMera tried to destroy again."_

_Sami returned his embrace, not saying anything but Lucas didn't seem to need her to say anything, taking her agreement as understood. Sami hugged him closer, hoping that he could chase away the slowly growing feeling of dread in her stomach but no matter how hard she held onto him, she just couldn't feel safe._

"In fact it was brilliant," said Sami, more for her benefit than his by this stage.

"Glad to hear it," EJ evenly, "Well I'd better put this little wriggler down before it gets much later and she gets over tired."

"Fine," said Sami hollowly, not knowing how she'd expected him to respond to what she'd just told him but not understanding his casualness at all.

EJ started to leave, this time remembering to duck his head under the chin up bar, which Ali found equally amusing for some reason, chortling happily at his antics. He stopped at the door though and turned around to face her as she still stood there in the middle of the room, not seeming to know what to do with herself.

"Oh by the way," he said calmly, "About the annulment - just so you know - that isn't going to be happening."

Sami's heart skipped a beat at his statement. Was this him wanting to stake his claim again? He'd really had her going with this uncaring act he'd had going on but this just proved that he wasn't as immune to all this as he was making out. An unbelievable sense of relief rushed through Sami as she realised that it had all been an act. He did want her and wasn't going to let Lucas just come in and take her without…

"After the events of _that_ night it will have to be a divorce now," he continued on blithely, totally unaware it seemed of what he was doing to her heart, "Sorry about that but it can't be helped now. Seeing as this marriage has been consummated the law says that we are no longer eligible for an annulment."

"Right," said Sami dully, "Fine, whatever."

He left then and Sami bit her lip, trying to keep back tears but she couldn't. She sank down on the bed and let them flow, burning hot rivers of wetness down her cheeks as she felt such a sense of loss that it shook her to the core. Sami lay back on the bed, curled up in a ball and began to sob quietly to herself.

EJ wandered back down to the living room after putting Ali to bed and found his Uncle enjoying a night cap and poured one for himself and sat down in the chair across from him. They both sat in silence for a while, each sipping their drinks and thinking their own thoughts.

"So," said EJ finally, his curiosity getting the better of him at last, "Exactly how did Samantha's and Lucas' first meeting go?"

"Well," said his Uncle, pausing to gather his thoughts, "The cheese really hit the carpet."

"Actually that isn't how that particular expression goes Uncle John," EJ went to correct him.

"Maybe," shrugged John, "But it's what happened."

EJ gave him a confused look but decided to let that one slide.

"Can I ask you a question nephew?" asked John.

"Well as I've yet to found a way to stop you, why not?" said EJ blithely, pretty sure he knew what the question was going to be ahead of time.

"What exactly is your thinking behind having your wife's ex-husband released from prison and back in her life?" asked John, a slight frown on his face, "That seems counter productive to me."

"Not really Uncle," said EJ calmly, "In fact it's very simple."

"Unlikely," countered John flatly, "But go on."

"I have done nothing but offer Samantha my love and devotion for nearly two years," said EJ, "I've renounced my family for her, turned my whole life around and where has it got me eh?"

"I don't know," shrugged John impassively, "Some kind of extreme allergy to cats?"

"Yes well," said EJ with a twitch of his lips, "Allergies aside I need more from Samantha than just a marriage of convenience and the occasional…"

"Rash?" suggested John helpfully.

"If we could move away from the allergy analogy please Uncle," said EJ with a roll of his eyes.

"Allergy analogy," mused John absolutely emotionlessly, "Now that's funny."

EJ looked at the completely stoic expression on the other man's face and raised an eyebrow.

"And this is you being amused?" he queried, waving a finger at John's completely blank face.

John leaned closer and in a slightly lower tone replied.

"My expressions are subtle nowadays," he told EJ in an almost conspiratorial fashion.

"Some would say to the point of being undetectable even Uncle," said EJ not without some humour.

"So your plan is to dangle her ex in front of her face and then she'll miraculously wake up one day and realise that she doesn't love him any more and that she actually loves you," mused John, returning to their original topic of conversation, "Have I understood that correctly?"

"Yes," said EJ determinedly, "Samantha always wants what she can't have. So I'm giving her what she says she wants and with holding from her what she says she doesn't."

"And you're the thing that she says she doesn't want," said John, working it out as he went along.

"Precisely," said EJ triumphantly, "You see, it's a simple plan Uncle and it's going to work."

"If you say so Nephew," said John, the scepticism obvious in his tone, "But how long do you envisage this 'simple plan' taking to work?"

"Well that I'm not sure of," admitted EJ ruefully, "But there is a saying - Patience is a virtue, possess it if you can, seldom in a woman, never in a man. Well I intend to disprove that little axiom wrong."

"There's another saying that goes - A fool and his honey are soon parted," John told him.

"The expression is a fool and his money Uncle John," said EJ, rolling his eyes.

John considered that for a moment and then shook his head.

"No," he said dismissively, "That doesn't make the point I was trying to make, my way is better."

"You know Uncle," said EJ dryly, "I'll miss our little chats when Samantha and I eventually move out."

EJ took another sip of his drink and savoured the alcoholic bite. This was going to work, it just had to, failure really wasn't an option at this point. He'd resigned himself to the next little while being absolute hell having Lucas sniffing around Samantha like the lap dog he was but it was a necessary evil. All he had to do was keep it together for long enough for Sami to come to her senses.

No problem… _right_?

EJ emptied the rest of his drink in one gulp and went to pour himself another.

"Good thinking nephew," John encouraged him straight faced, "I think getting drunk right about now is the smartest thing you've done all day."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter TEN**

Sami's footsteps slowed as walked by her mother's room, seeing her mother inside, reading on her bed.

"Hey Mom," she said, leaning against the door.

Marlena looked up and smiled warmly at her.

"Hey sweetie," she said, "The twins down for the night?"

"I'm hoping," said Sami with a resigned grimace.

"Come and sit with me for a minute," invited Marlena, patting a space on the bed beside her.

Sami walked over and lay on the bed beside her mother, resting her head on her shoulder. It had been a hard day and nobody could comfort like a mom.

"Good book?" she asked.

"Mm," nodded Marlena, "Not bad."

"I don't feel like I've read anything for years," commented Sami idly.

"Well you've got a pretty full plate at the moment," her mother said, "How's everything going with Lucas?"

"Great," said Sami, the lie coming automatically to her lips.

That was all she seemed to say lately - she and Lucas were great, fine, okay - whatever. Anything other than the truth.

"_I'm sorry Sami, can you say that again?"_

_Lucas' voice was hard and angry as he stared at her with a combination of surprise and anger._

"_Because it just sounded like you said that you actually helped EJ stay in the country!"_

"_I did," said Sami quietly, "He was going to be deported and…"_

"_Good!" snarled Lucas, "Let him get deported, I'll drive him to the airport myself."_

"_Well that would be the point wouldn't it Lucas?" said Sami, her own anger starting to rise, "You couldn't drive EJ or any one else anywhere could you?! Because you were in prison and I was left with twins to care for by myself!"_

"_So what, you passed up on the chance of getting rid of that bastard because you needed a baby sitter?!" asked Lucas bitterly, "Sami - he could have been out of our lives for good! Why did you have to help him?"_

"_EJ is Johnny's father!" snapped Sami, "He's never going to be out of our lives."_

"_Which is just how he wants it," sulked Lucas, "That man is like a virus in our lives from day one. He's brought nothing but pain and suffering to us all and you go and help him - I just don't understand Sami!"_

"_I wouldn't have needed his help if you hadn't been so stupid and self centred when you shot EJ!" snapped Sami._

"_I was protecting my family!" barked Lucas._

"_And so was I!" she countered sharply._

"Great?" queried Marlena, hearing something not right in her daughter's voice.

"Lucas was…" Sami shrugged hopelessly, "… unhappy when he found out that I'd helped EJ get his visa."

"But he understands why you did it though?" Marlena prompted her.

"Of course," lied Sami, "He was fine about it in the end."

Lucas hadn't been fine about it and the rest of their day together had been strained. Sami was making an effort to spend as much time with Lucas as she could hoping that they would be able to re-establish that connection she used to feel with him but it all felt so horribly forced. Nothing about Lucas coming back into her life had been how she'd pictured it. He seemed harder, less easy to talk to then the man she remembered but then he had been in prison and she had to make allowances.

Sami was beginning to think though that it was more than that.

Something had shifted between the two of them and it was beginning to feel more and more permanent. There time apart had given her some perspective on their relationship and now coming back into it with fresh eyes… nothing seemed the same. For so long now she'd clung to the 'dream life' she had with Lucas, built it up in her head, trotted it out every time she wanted to put EJ in his place but now it all seemed so hollow and she was beginning to wonder if anything she believed about her and Lucas was true… or ever had been.

"I'm going to go downstairs for a bit," said Sami straightening up, fed up with thinking such depressing thoughts for the moment.

"Alright honey," smiled Marlena, watching her get off the bed and walk to the door, "Sami?"

"Yes Mom?" replied Sami, turning to look expectantly at her mother.

"You know, don't you, that if you ever need to talk… about anything… I'm here," said Marlena, seeing her unhappiness and as a mother wanting to ease it for her.

"I know Mom," said Sami with a little smile, "Thanks."

Sami walked down the stairs back to the living room to find EJ and John sitting there, John with a newspaper, EJ with some official looking document. They both looked up as she walked into the room.

"Twins down at last?" asked EJ, they'd been a bit fretful today and they'd both had a turn at trying to convince them to settle for the night.

"Yes," said Sami, sticking her hands into the back pocket of her jeans and walking into the room.

"Good," smiled EJ, "And how was your day sweetheart?"

"Fine," said Sami shortly.

"You and Lucas met up at all?"

EJ knew that they had but because he was a masochist he just had to ask.

"Yes," she said sharply.

"And how was that?" asked EJ evenly, "You two kids reconnecting I hope."

"Why would you hope that?" scowled Sami suspiciously.

"Because I want you to be happy Samantha of course," said EJ mildly, "And Lucas makes you happy… right?"

"Of course!" she snapped and then because she couldn't help but goad him, "In fact we were talking about him finding a more permanent place to move into and me going with him."

That was true but what she was omitting telling EJ was that she hadn't reacted very enthusiastically to the idea.

"Won't he need a job for that?" asked EJ pleasantly.

"I've been helping him look for work but it isn't easy," said Sami.

"Well when you see 'Inmate' on a resume under 'Last Current Employment' it can be a bit off putting for the prospective employer," commented EJ dryly, "And Lucas didn't do himself any favours by getting those delightful tattoos whilst he was in prison either. I'm sure he was just trying to impress the 'tough kids' but it doesn't exactly scream corporate king pin now does it?"

"How can you be so callous about Lucas?" asked Sami horrified but even as she asked the question some part of her knew that EJ was right but she stubbornly wasn't going to admit it to him.

Besides, she felt terribly guilty that she wasn't as pleased as she knew she should be at his return and couldn't help herself from over compensating now by defending him to EJ.

"I'm not being callous I'm being honest," said EJ with an arch of an eyebrow, "Something you might want to have a shot at sometime."

Sami's eyes narrowed at the dig but she wasn't going to be put off.

"Of course Lucas would have changed a little," she defended her ex-husband heatedly, "These last months haven't exactly been a party for him! He's been in prison, it was hard! It wasn't like he had a line of people who loved him waiting to tuck him into bed every night!"

"You hope."

Both EJ and Sami froze and turned as one to stare at the man who'd just spoken. Sami had actually forgotten John was still there, he had a way of being so still and quiet it was easy for him to slip into the scenery somehow. John stood up then, tucked his newspaper under his arm and walked to the door, completely unfazed by the look the other two people in the room were giving him.

"I _cannot_ believe John just said that!" gasped Sami when she could finally get over her shock, looking at EJ wide eyed.

"Indeed," said EJ with the absolute best straight face he had.

"Don't you _dare_ laugh about something so serious!" she warned him furiously because even though he wasn't showing it Sami was almost certain that deep down EJ was laughing his arse off right now, "That was a terrible thing to say!"

"Wildly inappropriate," agreed EJ, digging a thumbnail into his palm to stop himself from bursting out laughing, "But remember Samantha - brain damaged, he doesn't know what he's saying. Tragic really, we have to make allowances."

"I'm going to check on the twins!" announced Sami, wanting to yell at him some more but he was giving her no ammunition.

"You do that," said EJ evenly.

He watched Sami flounce from the room and then calmly picked up a nearby cushion and placed it over his face before exploding into gales of laughter.

_Okay, it was official, Uncle John was his new favourite relative!_


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter ELEVEN**

Lucas smiled confidently at Sami and ran hand down Sami's arm, his smile widening as she gave a little shudder. Sami doubted he'd be so pleased at her reaction if he knew it why it was she was shaking under his touch. It felt wrong to have him touching her, worse than that, it felt disgusting and her skin crawled as he stroked her arms. She used to love his touch but now all Sami could think about was the last man who'd touched her and wishing it was him rather than Lucas standing there.

"Ali should be asleep for a little while now," he said with another suggestive smile, moving closer to her and drawing her into his arms, "Maybe we can take advantage of that and have some grown up time - what do you think Sami?"

Sami gave him a smile that she hoped wasn't as uncomfortable as it felt and moved restlessly in his arms. She and Ali were visiting him in his little apartment in a continuing attempt to re-establish themselves as a family but Sami was beginning to think that was never going to happen.

"Well Ali's asleep in the bedroom," she hedged, "Maybe we should just wait until she isn't with us."

"Sami," said Lucas with a shake of his head, "We don't need a bed and besides it's been nearly six months since you and I have slept together. It's been a long time for the both of us - don't you miss it?"

"Well I've been looking after twins for the last six months," said Sami a bit sharply, stiffening in his arms, "I guess you could say I had other things to occupy my mind with."

"I know," he soothed her, determined to get what he wanted, "But all that is behind you know and I know you - that's a long time for you to go without sex - so I was thinking…"

Lucas trailed off then when he saw something in Sami's face that he didn't like. He let her go and took a step back and looked at her through narrowed eyes.

"Because it has been that long for you hasn't it Sami?" asked Lucas, his voice suddenly hard.

Sami looked away, unable to hold his gaze any longer, a felt herself begin to blush. Normally Sami could lie her way out of any situation but for some reason she was finding it too hard to lie about her and EJ.

"Are you _kidding_ me?!" asked Lucas taking another step back as he heard the truth in what it was she wasn't saying, "You slept with that piece of scum?! You promised me you wouldn't let him touch you - you promised me!"

"Lucas, I…" said Sami uncomfortably, trailing off because she really didn't know what to say to defend herself to him.

"What, did he force himself on you again?" asked Lucas, still grappling to understand what she was telling him, "Is that what happened Sami, did that bastard rape you again?"

"No!" said Sami sharply, her voice fierce, "No he didn't!"

"So you went to him willingly then?" asked Lucas bitterly and it almost sounded to Sami that he was disappointed that she hadn't been raped and it made her stomach turn to think he'd rather have her be a victim again then having a choice, even if her choice had been EJ this time.

"It… it was just one night," said Sami, biting her lip at the almost truth, "It just happened and it was only a month ago."

"And that's supposed to make it alright then?" spat out Lucas, "I'm supposed to just forgive and forget?"

"Isn't that what I'm supposed to do about you shooting EJ?" countered harshly, "Just forgive and forget that you deserted me when I needed you, that you put your need for stupid revenge over being a father to Ali! Am I just supposed to forgive and forget that you tried to murder my son's father?"

"This is what he wanted all along," said Lucas bitterly, shaking his head, "He's finally got what he's always wanted and you don't see it because he's got you fooled with his 'I'm a changed man' routine! Well I know the truth Sami and even if you're too blind to see it I know that he is just using you to get what he wants!"

Lucas suddenly started towards the door and Sami looked after him in horror.

"Where are you going?" she asked anxiously.

"I'm going to finish this once and for all!" said Lucas, spitting out the words, "I'm going to find that piece of DiMera filth and teach that smug bastard a lesson he'll never forget!"

"NO!" said Sami in dismay, lunging after him.

Sami knew it should have been Lucas breaking his parole conditions she was worrying about but it wasn't. Last time Lucas had shot EJ and this time who knew what he might do! She grabbed Lucas' arm to stop him as he went to open the door and he tried to shrug her off him but she wouldn't let go, trying to drag him away from the door.

"Sami!" said Lucas in aggravation as she refused to let him go.

He had one hand on the door knob and she was behind him with her hands around his arm, trying to stop him. Finally Lucas got sick of it and he lifted his elbow up to jerk it violently away from her, using his superior strength to break free but as he did he felt his elbow connect with her face and she let out a cry of pain.

"Sami!" he said anxiously as she staggered away from him, clutching the right side of her face with her hands, "Are you alright?!"

Sami didn't answer immediately, her eyes welling up with tears of pain at the force of the contact of his elbow with her cheek. She blinked dazedly a couple of times as Lucas rushed over to her.

"Baby I'm sorry!" he said anxiously, peering at her face, "I didn't mean to do that!"

"It's… it's okay," she stammered weakly, still holding onto her face.

"Let me see," he said, grabbing one of her wrists and trying to remove her hand so he could get a better look but she resisted.

"It's fine," she said shortly, starting to recover from the shock as she broke free of his grasp and took a step back.

"Sami," said Lucas hopelessly, frustrated at how quickly things had spiralled out of control.

"Do you have something cold I can put on it?" she asked him dully.

"Yeah, of course," muttered Lucas and went to find her something.

Sami sank down on the couch, waiting for him to return with the requested item and shook her head at how badly that had gone but then, did she really expect anything different she wondered?

It was just over an hour later and EJ was sitting on the couch working - well attempting to do some work anyway. He'd come downstairs intent on getting some paperwork done but was finding it not as distracting as he usually did. Sami was out with Lucas again and despite his best attempts it was all he could think about.

He'd been expecting this, had prepared for it even but the reality of living through it, seeing her leaving every day to be with another man was far more confronting than he'd ever expected it to be. He'd managed it when they'd first been married so EJ had just assumed that he would be able to cope this time round as well but it was different now… now that she'd taken him so willingly into her bed. After what had happened between them it was becoming increasingly difficult just to let her leave everyday. He knew she hadn't slept with Lucas yet, would have been able to see it in her face if she had but even that knowledge gave him little peace.

He'd expected it to be hard but what he hadn't counted on was how gut wrenching it was watching her continue to go back to Lucas. He's thought he could handle it but there were times, moments when he doubted he could endure much more of this torture. EJ didn't think it would take this long but if being stubborn ever became an Olympic event then Sami would be a gold medal winner!

She made everything so hard… figuratively and literally.

_Oh god but he ached for her… so much._

Not just for her body but all of her - her spirit, her fire, that gloriously devious mind of hers - he wanted it all, loved it all. EJ wanted her to embrace her feeling for him as completely as he'd done with his for her, without fear or hesitation but he was starting to despair that she ever would. Uncle John had been right - this plan sucked!

The sound of the front door opening and closing heralded the object of his distractions' return. EJ heard her go upstairs, probably to put Ali down and stubbornly remained where he was. If she wanted to talk to him she knew where he was. He heard her walk back down the stairs and come into the living room but he remained steadfastly intent on his work, refusing to turn around and face her as he felt her come up behind him. He found it difficult to look at her nowadays without wanting to fall to his knees and beg her to chose him, to end this torment but he'd started this and now he had to see it through.

"Why do you always work down here?" he heard her ask him, her voice coming to him from the doorway behind him, "You've got a desk in your room."

"I was working in my room but then your mother and John had a bit of an argy-bargy so I decided that discretion was the better part of valour and came downstairs," he told her, proud of how calm his voice sounded despite all of his inward turbulence.

"What!" yelped Sami, "My Mom and John are having sex?!"

Despite himself EJ had to smile at the real horror he could hear in her voice at even the thought of such a thing.

"An argy-bargy is a fight Samantha," he said with amusement but still not bothering to turn round, "Calm down."

"Well if they were having a fight why didn't you just call it that?" she grumped moodily behind him, annoyed at him for the fright he'd given her.

"I don't know Samantha," he sighed patiently, "Why do you call it 'trash' instead of 'garbage' or 'diapers' instead of 'nappies'? It's a mystery."

EJ finally leant back then to look over his shoulder at her and continue his teasing of her but the words died on his lips when he caught sight of her face for the first time that night.

"Samantha!" he said and now he sounded horrified, "What happened to your face?!"

EJ stood up instantly from the chair he'd been sitting in and walked towards her with a worried look on his face. Sami looked away a bit nervously, having momentarily forgotten about the bruise on her face that was already starting to colour up despite having put a cold compress on it at Lucas'. Sami tried to move away from the hand that EJ had reached out to cup her face but he wouldn't let her, determinedly sliding his fingers to the back of her neck, his thumb resting on her jaw line. The feel of his long, warm fingers on her skin made her shiver after so long of him not having touched her.

"Nothing," she said weakly, swallowing hard.

"What happened?" he repeated, his voice low, a small frown on his face.

"It was an accident," she said hastily, looking up at him nervously.

"_What_ was an accident Samantha?" he asked, his voice hardening as he tucked a stray strand of blonde hair behind her ear.

"It wasn't his fault," said Samantha uneasy at the look in EJ's eyes, "It was just a silly accident."

"Lucas did this to you?" he asked and there was a rather frightening stillness to the question that made Sami very anxious.

She'd just spent the last hour convincing Lucas to let it go, made him promise that he wasn't going to do anything to EJ in retaliation for finding out that she'd slept with him. She'd told him that she didn't want him breaking his parole and going back to prison and he'd finally calmed down. It hadn't been the complete truth but it had meant that Sami wasn't going to have to worry about Lucas doing anything stupid when it came to EJ. And now it looked as though she was going to have to do the same with EJ.

"I… I was standing behind him and he accidentally hit me in the face with his elbow when he was trying to unstick his front door," she told the half truth, leaving out some rather pertinent information in her explanation as well but he didn't need to know that, "His front door always sticks."

EJ just looked at her, mulling over her words silently and Sami found herself holding her breath as she waited to see what he would do. There was a kind of coiled tension to his quietness that made Sami nervous and she would have given anything to know what it was he was thinking right then.

"Does it hurt?" he asked her softly, his fingers leaving her neck to ever so gently stroke her purpled flesh.

"N… no," she said breathily, caught off guard by his sudden tenderness, "I told you, it's nothing. It looks worse than it is because my skin is so pale."

"Can I get you anything for it?" he asked her, his voice low.

Sami shook her head dazedly, enjoying being this close to him again after so long apart.

"I'm sorry you got hurt Samantha," he said with a sad little smile, "I never wanted that."

"It… it wasn't your fault," she stammered in surprise, "It was just one of those things."

EJ leant down and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead and she closed her eyes at the feel of his lips on her skin.

"I'm still sorry," he whispered against her skin and Sami closed her eyes as he pulled her into an all encompassing embrace, wrapping his arms around her. His familiar scent filled her nostrils and she breathed deeply, feeling like she'd finally come home.

EJ walked up the narrow flight of stairs to Lucas' apartment, noting how small and unremarkable the place was - rather like the man himself so it seemed like a perfect match really.

When he'd come down to breakfast today it was to find that Sami had managed to hide the bruise on her face with makeup so no one else in the family noticed but he knew what was being hidden by all that concealer. EJ had remained determinedly removed from having any involvement with Lucas, preferring to leave Sami alone to work out how it was that she really felt about them both without mudding the waters but that was before he saw the ugly bruise marking that delicate skin of hers.

_All bets were off now. _

EJ stood at Lucas' dinghy apartment door and knocked, waiting patiently for it to be answered. Lucas opened the door and scowled when he saw who it was.

"I thought there was suddenly a bad smell in the building," he said insolently, "Guess I know why now."

"Hello Lucas," smiled EJ unconcerned by the other man's rudeness, "Long time no see."

"Not long enough," growled Lucas, "What are you doing here? If you're looking for some kind of thanks for getting me out of prison then you can forget about it. I don't know why you did it but I just know you've got some sick plan up your sleeve - you never do anything without a reason do you, you slimy bastard? Just don't expect me to play along with whatever evil scheme it is you're planning."

"I have _so_ missed our little talks," said EJ ironically, "It really makes me wonder how it is I managed without you for all this time."

"Is there something you want EJ?" asked Lucas, fed up.

"I was wondering if I could have a little look round your place?" said EJ evenly, "Sami mentioned that she wanted to bring both of the twins here so I just wanted to make sure what kind of place my son was being bought to."

"Right," said Lucas sarcastically, "Because you're such a great father!"

"I am actually," said EJ undeterred, "To both those babies."

"Yeah well I'm going to be getting my daughter away from you real soon," snarled Lucas, "So don't you get too used to it."

"So can I come in?" said EJ mildly, ignoring his threat, "I'll only be a minute and then I'll go."

"Whatever," said Lucas ungraciously, stepping back to let him in, "But I've got a job interview to go to so a minute is all you're going to get."

"That will be all I'll need," said EJ confidently, stepping through the door way.

"I see you've got that door fixed," commented EJ idly, watching as Lucas easily closed the door behind him.

"What are you talking about?" frowned Lucas, "There is nothing wrong with the door, never has been."

"Right," said EJ smoothly, "Sorry, I must have misunderstood something Sami told me."

_Samantha had lied to him, he'd suspected as much._

EJ walked over to the middle of sparsely decorated apartment and looked around at it's depressing wallpaper and tatty fixtures.

"It's temporary," said Lucas, seeing what the other man was seeing, "I'm not going to be here for long."

"Oh I'm sure," said EJ calmly and Lucas couldn't help but feel that he didn't mean that in a good way.

"So," he snapped, "Have you done your 'daddy duty'? Don't think I don't know why you're doing this!"

"And why might that be?" asked EJ placidly, with an interested tilt of his head.

"You're trying to impress Sami with how great a guy you are, how caring a father you are but it's no good, we both know it's BS," growled Lucas, "A leopard doesn't change it's spots."

"As a recovering alcoholic I would have assumed that you might hold to a different philosophy on life," commented EJ casually, "Interesting."

"Well you've just got an answer for everything haven't you?" sneered Lucas.

"There are a few things that still baffle me," admitted EJ evenly, "Like what a woman like Samantha is doing wasting even a second of her time with such an uninspired, insipid man like you Lucas Horton. It truly does boggle the mind."

Lucas' eyes narrowed at the insult and his lips twisted into a harsh line.

"You're so sure of yourself aren't you?" goaded Lucas, "So what are you thinking _Elvis_? Just because you managed to get Sami to feel sorry enough for you one day so that she slept with you and all of a sudden you actually think you've got a chance with her? Don't make me laugh!"

Lucas saw the look EJ gave him and couldn't help the smirk on his face.

"That's right," he said defiantly, "Sami told me about how she slept with you out of pity. What, did you think she wouldn't, that it would be some dirty little secret between the two of you? Sami and I tell each other everything _Elvis_, that's how it is with a real relationship although you probably wouldn't know that seeing as you've never had one!"

"I see," said EJ slowly, digesting this latest bit of information.

"Sure," carried on Lucas, intent on rubbing the other man's face in it, "We talked about it and worked it out, no problem."

"Yes I saw your idea of 'working it out' on Samantha's face when she came home last night," said EJ coolly, "Very impressive, you must feel like a real man right about now hmm?"

"It was an accident!" snapped Lucas defensively, "I'd never hurt Sami!"

"All evidence to the contrary eh?" said EJ smoothly, not missing a beat.

"Okay," said Lucas sulkily, "We're done here, time to crawl back under your rock Junior."

Lucas started towards the door to open it for him so he didn't see EJ quickly close the distance between them. The first thing he knew was he was being slammed up against a wall with a lot of force, the wind being knocked out of him. EJ quickly took advantage of his surprise and pushed an arm up under Lucas' chin, pressing in on his throat - not enough to do damage but enough to immobilise him. Lucas began to struggle but it was no use, they were hopelessly mismatched in size and strength and EJ had such a tight grip on him that he couldn't find the room to get any power behind his movements to be able to break free.

EJ held the smaller man against the wall easily, using his more powerful physicality to his advantage effortlessly. He'd never really bothered before with this kind of fight with Lucas before. It had seemed pointless, EJ hadn't needed to resort to such base things before because he had his intellect and he could put this little twat in his place with just a few well chosen words. Becoming physical with him seemed redundant somehow. The truth was Lucas wasn't worth the effort, he was a nothing, a nobody that didn't deserve this much attention.

But that was before he'd laid his hands on Samantha.

"I want to make something _exceedingly_ clear to you Lucas Horton," said EJ, looming over the other man as he held him in place, "So that we are both on the same page here. If you _ever_ so much as raise your voice to Samantha again then…"

"What?" interrupted Lucas, tilting his chin up defiantly, "You'll _kill_ me Elvis, is that what you were going to say?"

"I would never hurt the father of that beautiful little girl," said EJ, his voice hard, "Although I think we can both agree she'd be a whole lot better with her drunken jail bird of a father out of the picture eh?"

"Oh right, because Johnny's so lucky to have a father who's a ra…" spat out Lucas but EJ stopped him from going any further, pushing him harder against the wall and leaning his face in so close that their noses were practically touching.

"Be _very_ careful little man," warned EJ harshly, "I _own_ you, you belong to me and with one phone call I can have you back in that cell and no one is going to see or hear from you for a very long time."

"You own me?!" scoffed Lucas, struggling against EJ but still not able to get free, "You really are a crazy bastard!"

"Yes I _own_ you," hissed EJ, tightening his grip, "I secured you're release from prison and I can reverse your fortune just as easily. If you do anything, _anything_ that I don't like, then this pathetic existence you have going on here is over do you understand me?!"

"Sami would hate you for sending me back to jail!" sneered Lucas.

"Do you really think that I can't get Samantha to believe whatever it is I want her to believe?" he purred the question in to the other man's ear.

He couldn't - Samantha was too smart, too wild at heart to be controlled or manipulated by anyone ultimately and EJ knew that and loved that about her.

"You bastard!" snarled Lucas, "She's just a game to you isn't she?"

EJ's lips twisted in a humourless smile.

He'd believed him… but then EJ knew he would because Lucas didn't have the first idea about the woman he purported to love, never had. All he'd ever tried to do was change her into her sister Carrie and EJ hated him for it. Why have something so mundane and predictable when you could have such extraordinariness everyday, it was beyond comprehension for EJ. For Lucas to think that Sami could be so easily led, so easily manipulated just proved to EJ yet again that this mindless idiot didn't have any understanding at all of who Samantha really was.

"I think we've reached an understanding here," said EJ with a hard smile, releasing his hold on Lucas and straightening the other man's coat in a condescending way, "But just so you know - there will be no other warning. If you make so much as a twitch that displeases me, if I even suspect for one second that you have done anything to upset or harm either Samantha or Ali then it is over for you, do you hear me?"

Lucas shook his head, too angry to speak. EJ had him trapped and they both knew it. The hatred he felt for the man just surging through him as he watched him walk away, thinking he'd won, thinking that Sami was going to be his at last.

"Don't think for one minute just because you managed to take advantage of the fact that you have Sami trapped into this marriage and got her to sleep with you one time that it changes anything!" snarled Lucas at EJ's back as he walked towards the door, "She hates you as much as she ever did whatever deluded fantasy world you might be living in now!"

"Hmm," mused EJ, pausing at the door and turning around to answer him, "One time eh? Is _that_ what she told you?"

EJ raised an eyebrow and met Lucas' gaze steadily.

"Well," he said silkily, his lips twisting in a small, goading smile, "But then Samantha never has been renowned for her maths prowess now has she?"

And with that little barb delivered EJ turned on his heel and left Lucas standing there with a shocked expression on his face.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter TWELVE**

Sami stood behind the bar at the Brady Pub, drying beer glasses and absently watching over Lucas' shoulder the ball game that he had on the wide screen. The pub was closed and the two of them had come here to watch the game because neither of them had a television and Lucas was very keen to watch the game on a big screen. It was just the two of them and truth be told Sami wasn't that interested in watching baseball but at least it meant that they weren't going to be fighting.

Sami wasn't even sure why she agreed to spend the afternoon with him at all after the events of last night but Lucas had been persistent so she'd given in, more out of guilt than anything else. He hadn't said another word about her and EJ and at first she'd been relieved but now she almost wished that he would just scream at her so she had an excuse to leave.

"This is great!" exclaimed Lucas enthusiastically, looking back over his shoulder at her from where he was sitting up at one of the tables, closer to the TV whilst she stayed behind the bar, "They didn't have anything like this in prison."

"I guess that's to be expected," mumbled Sami under her breath, "It _is_ prison."

Everything he said or did nowadays seemed to instantly annoy her and not the way EJ could annoy her either. When EJ was teasing her or frustrating her there was this kind of spark, some kind of hum between them that as maddening as it was made her feel so alive. With Lucas it felt more like he was draining the life drop by drop every time they spoke .

"What was that Sami?" he asked her distractedly, keeping one eye on the game and turning his head to look at her again when he didn't catch what she said.

"Nothing," she said with forced cheerfulness, "You just watch your game honey."

"Okay," said Lucas, already absorbed in the TV again.

Sami sighed and picked up another glass to wipe but then she had this strange sensation, a tingling along the back of her neck and she looked up sharply, feeling as though she was being watched.

EJ stood there, outside the Brady Pub on the street, looking in at her through the large window pane, his expression inscrutable. Sami gasped and almost dropped the glass she was drying. Their eyes met and Sami felt a bolt of electricity rip through her, her stomach clenching tightly. He held her gaze and she couldn't look away, she felt like she'd been mesmerised by him, the force of his presence seeming to come into the room to claim her somehow.

Sami watched as he broke eye contact with her, his dark eyes slowly drifting down her body and it was as though he was actually touching her. A heated blush began to colour her skin as she watched his eyes rake her body. Sami had the urge to walk around the other side of the bar so he could see the rest of her properly and she found it shocking that she was so eager to please him. It was only a sudden roar from the crowd on the TV that stopped her and made her remember that Lucas was sitting right there. Sami turned her head to look at Lucas and was relieved to see that he was leaning excitedly closer to the TV, oblivious to what was going on behind him.

Sami looked back to where EJ was and almost gave a sob of grief at finding that he was no longer there. She bit her lip and put down the glass she was holding. What was she doing? She was spending all her time with a man that she felt more removed from everyday whilst she barely saw the man that seemed to occupy her every thought nowadays. Nothing made sense anymore and Sami felt like she was slowly going insane.

Sami started violently when she abruptly felt a hand on her stomach, followed quickly by a hard, long body pressed up against her from behind. Her head whipped round to see EJ suddenly behind her. He must have just come in the back way through the kitchen of the pub, silently walking up to her. She opened her mouth to say something but he stilled the words on her lips by leaning down and pressing a heated kiss to the sensitive skin on her neck. Sami gasped and looked back desperately at where Lucas was sitting, completely unawares still.

EJ nuzzled her neck and even though Sami knew she should move away and break contact with him she tilted her head to one side and granted him better access, her eyes fluttering shut at the feel of his lips running up and down her rapidly heating skin. It felt like forever since he'd last touched her like this and now that he had, despite all her best intentions, she was desperate for more. Sami had no idea why it was that he'd suddenly initiated this but she honestly didn't care as long as he kept doing what he was doing.

EJ inhaled deeply, filling his lungs with the scent of her, drinking it in hungrily. How had he managed to keep his hands off her for so long… why wasn't he insane from the effort of staying away from her? Maybe he was he mused as he moved his hand under her shirt, stroking the soft skin of her stomach. After his run in with Lucas the other man's taunts about Sami never going to be his had played on his mind. So much so by the middle of the afternoon he knew he had to see her, touch her, convince himself and her who it was that she belonged to. He'd tracked them down - not hard to do with a parolee and had seen her standing there at the bar, so lost looking and had been undone, all of his hard fought for resolve faltering at last.

Sami's lips parted as she felt his hand move higher under her shirt, cupping her breast through her bra and she gave a little gasping groan, feeling her nipples become instantly hard. EJ tightened his hold on her in approval of her reaction and she immediately felt his growing arousal against her bottom and shuddered helplessly.

What was she doing her brain tried to warn her - Lucas was sitting right there - but then she felt his other hand slide up under her skirt, warm fingers trailing their way up her inner thigh. Any other thoughts she might have had left her utterly when he dipped inside her already wet heat and she had to cover her mouth to stifle the moan that came to her lips as he began to stroke her walls with a sure and steady rhythm.

_Oh god she was always so ready for him, it was utterly maddening!_

EJ swallowed his own groan as he felt fresh wetness from her on his hand, knowing she was as eager for this as he was. He moved both of his hands, placing them firmly on her hips, his tongue tracing the delicate outline of her ear as he did.

"Samantha," he breathed her name softly into her ear and she melted at the sound of her name on his lips.

She heard a zip being undone from behind her and whimpered, hardly able to believe that this was happening but then his hands were pushing up her skirt and she knew that it was. He placed the tip of his hardness at her opening after pulling aside her panties and began to push into her ever so slowly. Sami went up on tip toes at the sensation of him entering her, her short nails digging into the worn surface of the bar as she fought against crying out. It seemed to take forever until he was completely inside of her and it was only when he was buried up to the hilt in her that she released the ragged breath of air that she'd been holding onto.

His hands returned to her hips and she leant forward a bit, feeling his penetration of her deepen, escalating the pleasure they were finding in each even more. He began to move inside of her then, short, sharp thrusts that made her grit her teeth against crying out.

_Oh god EJ was screwing her senseless whilst Lucas sat only a few feet a way! _

He could turn around at any moment and catch them but Sami didn't care, she only cared that EJ would keep going and never stop. The noise of the game on the television was drowning out whatever noise the two of them were making and Lucas was so into the game shouting away at the screen, cheering on his team noisily so that it was like he'd forgotten she'd even existed.

EJ's speed began to pick up and she pushed her backside back accommodatingly, meeting each of his thrusts enthusiastically. She could feel the tension in his body, knowing by now when he was about to reach his end and knowing she wasn't going to be far behind him. EJ's hands tightened on her hips, jerking her harder and harder back onto his rigid member, increasing the exquisite friction between their bodies in a frantic need to get them both to the point of no return.

Sami looked over desperately at where Lucas still sat, completely oblivious to the fact that she and EJ were basically rutting themselves into oblivion a few steps away from him. It was thrilling in a dark kind of a way and Sami was shocked by how turned on she was at the danger of being found out at any moment. She felt EJ suddenly go rigid behind her and then him shuddering as he released himself into her, the sensation tipping her immediately over the edge as well. He buried his mouth into her neck again, choking back his cries of release, his body jerking helplessly inside of her. He felt her body milking his, pleasuring him even more with her own orgasm. It was beyond heaven.

Finally their orgasms ended, both of their bodies limps from the release they'd been found in each other. EJ's hand slowly caressed her body as he leaned over her shoulder and caught her lips in a soul destroying kiss. He was still inside of her and seemed in no hurry to leave her, his hands finding her breasts again under her shirt, massaging them rhythmically, pleasing them both. It was though he was taking his sweet time with her, almost willing Lucas to turn around and catch them like this, both still bathed in after glow and him deep inside of her. Sami didn't resist, finding herself meeting his languid kisses with her own, passion sated kisses.

Reluctantly EJ withdrew from her at last and Sami gave an unhappy pout at the loss which he promptly kissed away. Still he lingered, hands all over her body, nipping kisses to her mouth and neck until at last her loosened his hold on her. EJ turned her around, leaning down for one last hard kiss on the lips before moving away from her, walking backwards and holding her gaze until he got to the end of the bar and then he was turning around and disappearing around the corner.

Sami blinked a couple of times, trying to regain at least partial use of her mental facilities again. Had she really just done that? Had she and EJ just had sex whilst Lucas was in the same room? Sami didn't understand who she could have let that happen, it was so completely wild and reckless. What she understood even less though was the burning need she had to go after him and make him take her again because despite what had just happened and the intensity of her orgasm she needed more.

She turned shakily around, half expecting Lucas to be standing their facing her, outrage and disgust on his face and demanding to know what the hell she was thinking letting him do that to her but he was still engrossed in the TV. Sami gave a little despondent laugh, shaking her head. If she loved Lucas as she said she did she could _never_ have done what she just did with EJ. But she had, without hesitation and what was worse she knew she'd do it again in a heartbeat - consequences be damned!

Whatever it was that she'd felt for Lucas or thought she'd felt for him was gone, Sami knew that now. It was over, so completely over that the word seemed too small to convey just exactly how finished their relationship was.

The game was in half time now and Lucas got up and walked over to her and Sami was glad of the bar between them so he couldn't smell EJ's scent all over her because she knew it would be.

"Good game huh?" asked Lucas with a pleased look on his face and then he gave a little frown, "You okay honey, you look a little flushed?"

"It's just a little hot behind the bar," said Sami, her skills with finding a good lie never more evident then right now.

"Come and sit with me," he cajoled her with a smile.

Sami felt the combined wetness of her and EJ's release trickle down a little between her legs even as she stood there and shook her head.

"Lucas," she said very seriously, "We really need to talk about a few things."

Lucas could see something in her face and stalled her.

"I have to go straight after the game," he told her, "And I've got more interviews tomorrow morning but I'll see you in the afternoon, we can talk then if you like."

"Sure," said Sami with a weak smile, "Fine, tomorrow then."

Lucas gave her a little nod and a determined smile and took himself back to the game. Sami watched him go and sit back down with a feeling of finality. She needed for this thing with Lucas to be over once and for all and if she had to wait until tomorrow to do it then she'd just have to wait she supposed.

If she'd expected EJ to behave any differently around her after their little tryst at the pub then she was to be disappointed. On returning home later that evening she was quickly consumed with meeting all of the twins needs and it was nine o'clock at night before she even had time to draw breath but then EJ announced he was off to bed and then he was gone. Sami really didn't know what to make of all his mood changes. Maybe EJ had the same personality crisis that she'd figured out she'd had at the gym. That would explain a lot really - no wonder they were so well suited.

_Did she really just think that?_

How long had she been denying the connection between the two of them?

_Too long _a little voice answered her and she knew it was true.

Only now that she had Sami wasn't entirely sure what to do about it. She supposed the mature thing was to go and talk to EJ about it but it was hard to know what he was thinking nowadays and she was suddenly frightened that he might laugh at her for her newly acknowledged feelings. Sami had laid in bed for hours, trying to sleep but it just wouldn't come for her. She had too many thoughts going on in her head so she finally gave up, getting up and going downstairs to the kitchen to make herself a glass of warm milk to help her sleep. As soon as she entered the kitchen though she saw the very object of her vexation sitting there at the kitchen table, a tall glass of what looked like water with plenty of ice in it in his hand. EJ turned his head as soon as she walked in and smiled at her.

"Couldn't sleep sweetheart?" he asked her.

"Too hot," mumbled Sami and it was although that wasn't the real reason she couldn't fall asleep.

"It is a warm night," agreed EJ holding up his icy glass, "That's why I'm having this."

"I'm going to make myself a warm milk," she said tiredly.

"How will that help with the heat?" asked EJ with a mocking smile.

"It will help me get to sleep where I won't care about how hot it is!" snapped back Sami, letting her frustrations out on him.

_Nothing new there._

"Maybe I can help you with the heat thing," he offered to her calmly, unconcerned by her moodiness, "Come here."

Sami looked at him uncertainly but after today he could have little doubt that she was going to do just about anything he asked of her. She walked towards him and he parted his legs as he sat there so she could stand between them. He was shirtless, only wearing his black pyjama bottoms and her heart skipped a beat at how the sexiness of the man. He looked up at her through his long lashes and suddenly the tension between them was palatable. How could he make her feel like this with just one look Sami wondered hopelessly.

EJ hooked a finger into the top of her pyjama pants and pulled her even closer and she knew that look in his eyes. He looked her up and down, slowly licking his lips, making Sami swallow hard… she _definitely_ knew _that_ look! He pushed up the material of the little sleeveless stretch top she was wearing, exposing her breasts to him which he seemed to take an awfully long time admiring. Sami was tired of waiting for him to touch her so she reached out a hand, running it back and forth through his dark hair which he murmured his approval of.

EJ wrapped one arm around her legs, drawing her even closer and then with his other hand he picked up his drink and took a drink, taking an ice cube into his mouth. He put the drink back down and with a final mischievous look up at her he proceeded to blow a cold breath out onto one breast. Sami shivered at the ticklish sensation feeling her nipples tighten at the sudden stream of icy air but he wasn't done yet. EJ moved closer, taking one of her nipples into his mouth and her hands shot up to her shoulders clenching into tight fists at the sharp sensation of the ice cube that he had in his mouth being rubbed against the sensitive bud by his very clever tongue. Sami made a little squealing noise and she felt his smile against her skin, enjoying her response.

Soon the combination of the coldness of the ice cube, the roughness of his tongue and the nipping from his teeth on such a sensitive area had her groaning and grabbing at his head, both to hold him there and to stop herself from swaying too wildly. Sami tilted her head right back and gave herself over completely to his incredibly skilled ministrations. When that ice cube had melted he quickly got another and repeated the exercise on her other breast and she moaned her approval. Too soon it was over but then he was lifting her onto the kitchen table, pulling her pants off her as he did.

Sami settled back against the hardness of the kitchen table, fully expecting him to immediately join her and fix the ache that he'd started inside of her earlier today but he didn't. EJ pulled her further down the table until her backside was on the edge, her legs were pushed up as well, feet resting flat on the table, knees bent. He leant over her and smiled down at her as she looked up at him expectantly, eager for what was to come next. He kissed her then and his mouth was still cold for the last lot of ice and she eagerly returned his kisses. EJ broke the kiss and looked down at her, a little quirk to his lips.

"Ready?" he asked her and she looked at him in bewilderment - didn't she _look_ ready?!

EJ's grin widened at seeing her confusion and holding her gaze he very deliberately picked up his glass which still had quite a few ice cubes in it and took some more into his mouth. Sami smiled back, knowing where this was going but it turned out she was wrong. EJ hovered over her breasts, pleased at seeing them still hard and swollen from his earlier attentions but he had another final destination in mind. Sami's eyes widened as she started to move down her body… he wasn't going to… was he?

At the first touch of his icy tongue to her nub Sami bucked up and would have fallen off the table if EJ hadn't been quick enough to grab her and steady her.

"EJ!" she shouted, unable to believe how good it felt but he had only begun.

After the initial shock she was starting to get used to the sensation but then she felt him move lower and the next thing she felt was the ice that he'd been holding in his mouth being pushed up inside of her before he returned to her bud and began to lap at it with his velvety tongue.

_**Oh my GOD!**_

The combination of the cold from the ice and the friction of his tongue was causing her body a riot of delicious confusion that made her scream out and grab at the edge of the table above her head just for something to hold onto. No sooner had the first lot of ice melted then he was adding another and she shook her head wildly, moaning helplessly at how good it felt. EJ stopped abruptly, much to her horror and suddenly he was leaning over her, hands on the table either side of her shoulders with an evil grin on his face.

"Not that I'm not really loving the encouragement sweetheart," he told her roguishly, "But you're going to wake the whole household if you keep screaming like that and possibly quite a few of the neighbours!"

"EJ!" blushed Sami in horror at how caught up she'd gotten in the moment.

"Now if you promise to be a good girl I'll continue," he teased her shamelessly.

_Okay, now it was official, she was a complete harlot… now if only she could bring herself to care!_

It mind numbing how good it was between them. Sami knew she should probably have some better sense of modesty when it came to him but she was so desperate for the satisfaction that their too short a union at the pub had denied her that it just wasn't happening. He'd left her craving more but he was making the wait more than worth it now!

It was going to be a long night…


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter THIRTEEN**

EJ tutted to himself when he saw the small brown mark on his dress shirt, just near his right elbow.

Missed a spot - damn!

Not that it hadn't been worth it of course but then everything was worth it when it came to Samantha. The frustrating things, the painfully maddening things, the things that you don't manage to get off in the shower and end up staining the last good clean shirt you had in your closet things.

_Totally and absolutely worth it._

Besides he'd just keep his jacket on at work - he normally did anyway. It was a small price to pay for discovering exactly where Ali got her sweet tooth from. EJ had never had such a deep and profound respect for the makers of Mrs Baker Homemade Choc Caramel Sauce  as he did now thanks to last nights forays into what could be done with half a bottle of the sweet condiment and a little imagination. He was even thinking of writing them a thank you note but had thought better of it… probably just better to send flowers.

EJ walked down the sweeping staircase of DiMera mansion, already a little late for work which he hated but again… worth it! He'd left Samantha sleeping, she needed it because there had been very little sleep last night, for either of them. He actually just wanted to crawl back into bed with her and pull the covers over both of them, blocking out the rest of the world utterly but knew that wasn't going to work - as much as he might want it to.

His schemes wasn't going exactly to plan he had to admit. Firstly this whole thing with Lucas was taking way longer to be resolved than he'd hoped for. It had already been nearly three weeks and it was frustrating the hell out of him. Not that there hadn't been progress of course. His mind flashed back to the Brady Pub and a self satisfied smile found it's way onto his lips. If that wasn't a point for team EJ then nothing was! In fact EJ was going to award himself double points for that little interlude.

The only thing that would have made it better if the clueless little twat had turned around and seen he and Sami '_in flagrante' _as it were but of course he didn't. He'd rather sit there and watch TV then give Samantha the attention she deserved. The man was a complete tool and not a useful tool either, he was like a melon baller or a apple corer - you have them in the drawer but never really use them because they are so redundant.

He just couldn't believe how painfully obstinate Sami was about admitting the truth about her feelings for him. In their passionate trysts she gave herself over to utterly and he knew she wouldn't do that if she didn't have some very deep feelings for him.

_Just how many times was he going to have to bring her to a noisy, gut wrenching climax before she admitted to herself that she loved him? _

Still, if making hot, sweaty love to her day in and day out was what he had to do to convince her of her feelings for him then he had to do what he had to do he supposed. A lecherous grin split his face at the thought. After all, he was more than up for it… just about permanently these days in fact! EJ had to quickly wipe the smile from his face when he saw who was at the bottom of the stairs.

"Good morning Marlena," said EJ cordially, "How are you today?"

"I'm good," she smiled, "Thank you EJ."

"Wonderful," returned EJ, "Well, it's off to work for me. Have a good day won't you, I'm sure I'll see you tonight."

Marlena nodded and returned the sentiment, watching him move towards the door thoughtfully.

'EJ," she called out to him and he turned around, hand still on the door knob, ready to leave.

"You know," she said softly, seeming to be thinking aloud, "I always wanted someone for Sami who could help calm her down, someone to help stabilise her."

"Like Lucas," offered EJ a bit resignedly, letting go of the door and turning around to face her properly.

"Yes," confessed Marlena with a poignant smile, "But you know - I think I was completely wrong about what it was my daughter really needed."

EJ tilted his head, intrigued by where this was going.

"I care very much for Lucas," said Marlena softly, "He has been an important part of my family for many years, he is the father of two of my grandchildren… they are ties that bind."

"Yes," said EJ, his jaw clenching as he realised that he couldn't hope to compete with such history, at least not yet.

"But the truth is I always hoped that the men in Sami's life, Lucas, Austin, Brandon," continued on Marlena softly, "Well, they'd tame her wild ways I suppose but now…"

"Now?" prompted EJ.

"Maybe Sami was never meant to be tame," mused Marlena with a little smile, "Maybe she was always meant to run free until she finds a man wild enough to keep up with her."

Marlena looked up at EJ with a considered look and he looked steadily back at her.

"I love Samantha," he said roughly, his sincerity obvious, "You have to know that Marlena. There is nothing I wouldn't do to make her happy. She and those babies are my whole world."

"I can see that EJ," said Marlena quietly.

"I can make her happy," he told her earnestly, "All I want for her is to be free to be the remarkable woman that she was always meant to be."

"I know," said Marlena, "And maybe you're the only one who can."

EJ's eyes widened at her words. Had he just gotten approval from Marlena about pursuing Samantha? If anyone had told him a year ago that something like that could happen then he would have laughed in their face. A year ago he wouldn't have cared what anyone else thought about his loving Samantha and in some ways he still didn't but Sami loved her mother and to have Marlena's blessing would be something very important to her, so that made it important to EJ.

"Thank you," he said simply.

"My daughter is no walk in the park," Marlena warned him with a quirk of her lips, "I hope you know what it is you're getting yourself into."

"I don't," said EJ, a smile on his face, "And I wouldn't have it any other way!"

"Good answer," Marlena told him with a little laugh.

EJ's grin widened - oh yes, things were definitely coming along nicely for team EJ!

Samantha sat in the kitchen, sipping on her coffee. The twins were down for their mid morning nap, a bit late seeing as it was nearly midday but Sami was going to take what she could get. Sleeping babies were sleeping babies after all. Rolf was in the kitchen making yet more food into balls… frankly it was starting to get a bit creepy. She looked up as John walked in, Scotch in hand and walked to the fridge. He opened the refrigerator and looked around for a moment.

"Where's my ice?" he asked.

"I made a fresh batch yezterday," said Rolf, looking over his shoulder, "It's in zee top."

"No," said John flatly, closing the door, "It's not."

Sami meanwhile had felt her cheeks go flame red as she remembered exactly what it was that had happened to that last batch of ice Rolf had made and she squirmed in her chair in embarrassment.

"It haz to be," said Rolf, going over to the fridge and opening it, "Were else vould it be?"

Sami prayed that neither one of them would _ever_ find out the answer to that question!

Sami looked up to find both of them looking at her.

"Well don't look at me!" she snapped, using anger to hide her embarrassment, "Why would I know what happened to your ice, what do I look like, the ice police? It's just ice, it's not hard to make some more - why are we even talking about ice? I've got better things to do then sit here and listen to you two obsess about ice!"

Okay Sami, way to go - _that_ wasn't suspicious at all!

Both men were just openly staring at her now and she got up and threw the last of her coffee down the sink, just to have something to do rather than sit there and have them look at her like that. She turned back round, leaning back against the sink and gave a defiant shrug.

"What!" she asked them.

"You've got a lot of opinions about ice," commented John idly, "Didn't realise it was one of your passions."

"Who said anything about passion?!" she said, her face flushing again, "Ice is ice, where is the passion in ice?"

_Oh god EJ, more please, do it again, don't stop!_

Sami tried her very best to maintain an nonchalant expression as she remembered the very many ways EJ had found to pleasure her with the now much discussed ice in question. She doubted very much that she was pulling it off though by the way the two men were still looking at her.

"Can we talk about something else?" she snapped as the silence lengthened.

"Alright," agreed John evenly, "Rolf I need you to do something for me."

"Ya?" said Rolf.

"I need you to get something to get rid of stray cats, I heard one last night yowling it's head off, woke me in fact," said John expressionlessly.

Sami froze in horror, her eyes widening as she wondered just how many more ways she could be embarrassed this morning. The thought that John may have heard her and EJ last night was beyond mortifying!

"Catz?" queried Rolf in surprise, "Ve have catz coming into zee mansion?"

"That's what it sounded like," said John stoically, "I think there may have been something wrong with it though, it sounded like it was stuck or something. There was a lot of howling."

Sami bit back the whimper of dismay but she had no one else to blame but herself, EJ had warned her but she just didn't seem to be able to have anything resembling dignity when he was touching her.

"Seeing as my nephew's got such a bad allergy to cats I thought we should try and get rid of it," continued on John casually.

Sami looked at John out of the corner of her eye and she could swear she could see just the barest whisper of a smile on his lips. And she thought she couldn't have been more humiliated after the back scratch thing… how wrong could one person be?!

"What do you think Samantha?" asked John innocently.

"I think I should check on the twins," said Sami weakly, needing to be out of that kitchen so badly before they managed to find anything else to embarrass her with.

_Where did that bottle of chocolate sauce end up anyway?_

With her luck they were going to find a chocolate arse print in the next minute with the way things were going! She had to get out of here! Sami went to leave but before she did, John put out a hand to stop her.

"Do you have the number for EJ's cell phone number?" he asked, looking at Sami quizzically.

"Why?" frowned Sami, frustrated at not being able to make good her escape.

"Nicole rang here earlier this morning and I was meant to give him a message but he left before I saw him," said John calmly.

"What kind of message?" scowled Sami, "What did she want?"

"Apparently they had lunch plans," said John, "And the place they normally go to, the Palace Hotel is booked so she was ringing up to change it to the Reagent."

"Excuse me?" squawked Sami, "A hotel? Nicole and EJ have been meeting at a hotel? For how long?"

"Didn't say, didn't ask," said John with an unconcerned shrug.

"Are you telling me that my husband and that slut have been meeting secretly together in a hotel for god only knows how long?!" repeated Sami, the storm clouds gathering on her face.

"So am I hearing a 'no' on knowing EJ's cell phone number then?" asked John flatly, "Because it's almost lunch time now and I should really let him know."

"You are not going to do any such thing!" spat out Sami, "I'm going to deal with this myself!"

Sami was so mad she could hardly speak. All this time he'd been coming to her bed after getting out of Nicole's - she was going to kill them both with her bare hands! No wonder he was finding it so easy to ignore her when he was getting it from somewhere else! She was finally going to end things with Lucas and now she was finding out that it might be too late - that EJ had moved on! Some part of her brain tried to remind her about last night and how he was giving no indication whatsoever of having 'moved on' but she was too incensed to listen.

"I can't believe that he's been meeting that bony ho in some seedy dive all this time!" raged Sami, her eyes flashing wildly, "I hope he gets rabies from that flea ridden dog that she's always carrying around!"

"Wait," said John in what almost sounded like surprise, "That thing in her purse is a dog?"

"Of course it is!" snapped Sami, "What else would it be?"

"Some kind of deformed hamster?" offered up John musingly.

"Why would even Nicole have a hamster in her bag?" asked Sami in exasperation, not knowing why she was bothering with this conversation when that bottle blonde probably had her slimy hands all over EJ right now!

"Why would anyone carry around a creature that poops at will and without warning in their bag?" countered John flatly, "It's… unsettling."

"Oh no John," said Rolf, "It eez quite zee fashion ya? Many of zee ladies do it now."

"Again," said John blankly, "Why?"

"It doesn't matter why!" bit out Sami in frustration.

Why was she standing here listening to these two bleat on when Nicole was circling EJ like some deranged bitch in heat?! She needed to get out of here and set EJ straight on who's bed he should be, not listening to two insane men having a conversation!

"Can you watch the twins John?" Sami asked distractedly, she normally would never ask him but she had some trash that needed taking out!

"Can I watch the twins do what?" asked John blankly.

"No, I mean just you know, just look after them until Mom gets home," said Sami in frustration, honestly the man was so literal nowadays.

"Sure," said John flatly, "We'll bond."

"No, no bonding," said Sami distractedly, "Just leave them alone and call me if they wake up. Mom will be home in about half an hour anyway."

"If you're sure," shrugged John,

"I'm very sure," said Sami firmly.

John seemed to think the matter was settled and turned back to Rolf.

"So…" said John, looking down at the glass of Scotch he had in his hand and then back at Rolf, "Ice?"

"I just put zee tray back in zee freezer," said Rolf in bemusement, "It vill be at least an hour or zo before zere is ice."

"Not my problem," said John expressionlessly, holding out his glass, "Ice."

John stood there then expectantly as though Rolf was going to just miraculously bend the laws of physics and produce ice out of nowhere. Although in John's defence it wouldn't exactly be the first time Rolf had sinned against the laws of nature - case in point the formerly dead man standing there demanding ice for his drink.

Sami rolled her eyes at the two of them, feeling a flash of anxiety at leaving her twins in the care of either one of them. They were like the original odd couple but instead of 'odd' insert 'bizarre'! If it wasn't an emergency Sami would never contemplate doing such a thing but it was an emergency.

So all she had to do was go to EJ's office, throw that skank Nicole out on her bony arse, stake her claim on her husband and then come home and kill herself so that she would never have to look John in the eye again.

It was shaping up to be a full afternoon.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter FOURTEEN**

Sami stomped up the stairs of the law offices of Mickey Horton, too incensed to be bothered waiting for the elevator, each step taking her closer to the confrontation she'd been inching to have with Nicole Walker since the day she slithered back in town and talked her way into becoming EJ's client. She reached the top of the stairs and flung open the door into the reception area of EJ's office and let it slam noisily behind her. Marcie, EJ's secretary, looked up at her in surprise.

"Mrs DiMera!" she said in surprise, eyes wide at the other woman's sudden and somewhat noisy appearance.

"I'm going to talk with my husband," said Sami, determinedly marching straight past her desk.

"Oh… but, you can't…" stammered Marcie, standing up a little as Sami stormed by, "He's with a client."

EJ only had one client so no prizes for guessing who that was! The thought that Nicole was already in there doing god only knows what with EJ made Sami want to claw her eyes out. Hmm, eye clawing, not a bad place to start - she could work down the rest of that flat chested, bony butt body from there! They probably were going to leave from here to go to the hotel thought Sami to herself.

Over Nicole's dead body was _that_ ever going to happen.

"But Mrs DiMera," said Marcie trying again even though she was not crazy enough to actually try and stop this woman with the wild look in her eye, "Mr DiMera gave strict instructions that he wasn't to be disturbed."

"I _bet_ he did!" spat out Sami, hand already on the door to EJ's office, ignoring the woman's protests completely.

She ripped open the door and stormed through, the blood pounding in her veins, ready to slap down the bimbette once and for all EJ looked up in surprise at her sudden appearance in the his doorway. He was sitting at his desk which was so lucky for him because if Sami had actually walked in on them doing anything there was a pretty good chance Marcie would have to be calling 911 right about now! She couldn't see Nicole because she was obviously sitting in a high, wing backed chair, facing EJ's desk as his body was angled towards the chair, clearly talking to someone. Sami could just picture her sitting there in some kind of skimpy outfit from "Ho's Are Us", all smiles and suggestive looks.

"Samant…" began EJ in surprise at the sight of his wife standing there in the doorway looking like some wild Amazonian woman about to go into battle.

Her brilliant blue eyes were flashing death, her pale skin was heated to a delightful pink colour

"Don't Samantha me!" she snapped, marching into the room, "I'm here to put an end to whatever it is that you have going on with this cheap tart Don't think for one second I don't know what you've been up to with this money grabbing whore…"

Just then the 'money grabbing whore' poked her head out from around the high backed chair to see what all the commotion was about. Sami made a kind of whimpering groan - the sound of the last shreds of her dignity leaving her body probably - as looked back in frozen horror at the woman currently occupying the chair.

The sixtish or so year old woman gave her a kind, if somewhat bemused smile as she regarded the younger woman with interest.

"Well," she said straight faced, "No one's called me _that_ in a long time dear."

A sound escaped Sami's body that was a cross between a verbal shudder and a prayer for death.

EJ stood up then, moving around to where Sami was standing, frozen to the spot.

"Mrs Jorgensen," he said smoothly as though this was how anyone would enter a room, "This is my lovely wife, Samantha, sweetheart, this is Mrs Jorgensen."

EJ had taken her arm to make the introductions and he moved her forward to be able to shake the woman's offered hand. Sami's feet weren't really up to the task of taking a step forward so she stumbled a bit as she did and EJ had to steady her.

"Hello dear," said Mrs Jorgensen kindly, shaking her hand.

"Hi," said Samantha faintly, not exactly sure what she could add that would be able to top her initial introduction.

"Mrs Jorgensen was just coming to see me about the possibility of me handling some of her estate affairs," continued on EJ effortlessly as though nothing untoward had happened, "She wanted to meet with me to see who it was she would be handing some of her more pressing affairs over to."

Sami made a strangled noise that was meant to be the sound of polite interest but it came out more like she was swallowing her own tongue. Oh god, how good would that be if she had! How much less awkward this moment would be if she'd only managed to do that before she'd entered the room screaming like some deranged banshee!

"Well it was lovely to meet you Samantha," said Mrs Jorgensen, starting to get up and EJ instantly moved to help her, "But I must be going, I have another meeting to go to with my bank manager."

"You… you too," said Sami weakly, finally recovering at least partial command of the English language, "Nice… meet… good."

Although adverbs were still a little beyond her grasp right then but Mrs Jorgensen didn't seem to mind.

"I'll just get Marcie to call you a taxi Mrs Jorgensen," said EJ helpfully, walking over to the door and disappearing through the door briefly.

Mrs Jorgensen took Sami's arm and Sami numbly walked her slowly to the door, feeling a pressing need to try and explain her behaviour.

"Sorry… bad… not usually…" she tried but her knowledge of English words still seemed to be awfully limited.

"It's alright my dear," she said comfortingly, patting the hand that Sami had looped through the older woman's arm, "If I had that tall drink of gorgeousness in my bed I'd be making sure to be opening some whoop tushy on any woman who got within a hundred feet of him."

Sami's eyes nearly fell out of her head, she opened them so wide. Her jaw dropped open as she stared at the much older woman in shocked disbelief.

"What?" shrugged Mrs Jorgensen with an impish smile, "I'm not dead yet - and if I was just a little younger my dear you might have had good cause to be saying what you did when you walked in that door."

Sami shook her head in stunned amazement - could this day get any more bizarre she wondered?

"There you go," announced EJ, back in the room now, "All set, I'll walk you downstairs Mrs Jorgensen."

"Don't bother dear," she replied, "I'm sure I can find my own way."

She looked back and forth between the young couple teasingly.

"Besides," she said with a smile, "I think your wife may have something she'd like to discuss with you."

"You know Mrs Jorgensen," said EJ with an answering grin, "I quite got that impression myself."

The woman gave a little laugh and then left, leaving Sami and EJ alone. He cocked his head at her and gave her a considering look.

"You know I was thinking of having business cards made so that potential clients would remember me," commented EJ straight faced, sticking his hands into his pockets and strolling over to where she was standing, "But I think your ways better - a lot more of the personal touch."

"Oh. My. God!" gasped Sami, the horror still on her face and the ability to make coherent sentences finally returning, "What must she be thinking?"

"Probably that I have the good fortune to be married to a passionate, wildly impulsive, gorgeous woman," said EJ with a smile, completely unfazed by the turn of events.

"She must think I'm mad," said Sami with a hopeless shake of her head, wondering if she would ever stop putting herself into these truly mortifying situations.

"I don't she thinks anything of the kind," EJ said with a smile, "Although I am a little curious to find out what precipitated such a display candour."

"Precipitated?" bit out Sami, suddenly remembering why it was she was here in the first place, "I'll tell you what _precipitated_ this _Elvis_! The games up - John let it slip - I know _everything_!"

"Excellent!" said EJ happily and then looked at her expectantly, "And what might 'everything' be - just out of curiosity my darling?"

"Don't play the innocent with me!" she snapped, crossing her arms in front of herself and looking up at him accusingly, "I know you and that tramp Nicole Walker have been meeting up at hotels all this time and doing… I don't even want to _think_ about what you two have been doing! It's kind of appropriate really that you two should be hanging out at seedy hotels seeing as her middle name is Street!!"

EJ couldn't help the big smile that came to his lips at her words.

"Street Walker eh?" he said with a laugh, amused by her humour, "I have to say that is one of your better ones sweetheart but middle names aside - what would make you think that?"

"John told me," she threw back at him challengingly.

"Uncle John told you what?" asked EJ in confusion.

"Nicole rang this morning and got John," said Sami snippily, biting out her words, "She told him to tell you that you were to meet at a different hotel than your usual one today. What do you have to say to that?!"

"I'd say my Uncle must be having a moment," said EJ with a shrug, "Because I have _never_ met with Nicole anywhere other than this office or in a very public place. Even that one time she called me out in the middle of the night Phillip was there the whole time. I can promise you Samantha, Nicole and I have never seen the outside of a hotel together let alone anything else."

"Oh right?" she scoffed unconvinced, "So what? John just lied to me then?!

EJ just steadily held her gaze, not saying anything until it finally dawned on her.

"John just _lied_ to me!!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide in shocked realisation, "_Why_ would he do that?"

EJ opened his mouth to speak but she waved a defiant finger at him.

"And don't keep saying about the brain damage thing!" she snapped angrily, "There are only so many things that you can put that down to! It's not like a complete get out of jail card you know!"

"Samantha," laughed EJ, amused by her outrage, "I really don't know why John would say something like that but whatever his reasons are I can assure you it just simply isn't true."

"So you haven't been sleeping with Nicole then?" asked Sami, eyeing him suspiciously.

"No Samantha," he assured her calmly, still with a little smile on his lips, "The only woman I've been sleeping with is standing in this room looking particularly delectable right now."

"But she's still you're client?" pushed Sami, ignoring his flirting.

"Yes," he sighed, "Nicole is still my client and will continue to be so until her divorce from Victor is finalised."

"No," said Sami calmly.

"No?" repeated EJ with an arch of an eyebrow, "What does that mean?"

"It means no," repeated Sami with an offhanded shrug, "You're going to get rid of Nicole as a client."

"Samantha," EJ sighed again, "We have had this conversation many times over and I've told you…"

"Well I'm telling you," said Sami interrupting him, starting to walk determinedly towards him, "You're going to call her right now and tell her she's no longer your client."

"Actually Nicole is due to meet me here for a meeting in about twenty minutes," EJ informed her, glancing at his watch.

"Call her and tell her you can't make it," said Sami, a determined look in her eye as she moved ever closer to him.

"And why wouldn't I be able to make it eh sweetheart?" EJ said, seeing the look of steely resolve in her eye and loving having his old, relentless Samantha back.

"Just call her and tell her that you can't make it," said Samantha, now standing so close to him, her hands going to his chest and pushing on it and he took a step back.

"That would be highly unprofessional of me," he informed her, taking some more steps back as she resolutely advanced on him, a gleam in her eye.

"Call her," said Sami, still advancing.

EJ's leg hit the back of his desk and he had to stop moving backwards but Sami continued to move forward slowly until she came to a halt, her body pressed up against his. He looked down at her, intrigued with their battle of wills and enraptured with the how this woman could beguile him so.

"Call her," she purred, her voice low as she tilted her head right back to look up at him and EJ swallowed hard, blinking rapidly.

"I'm simply not going to cancel a meeting with my only client thus far because… oh GOD!" he yelped the last of his sentence as he felt her cup him through his pants, rubbing against him.

Sami smiled up at him knowingly, feeling him already start to harden against her hand, a self satisfied look on her face. She went up on tip toes so her lips were almost touching his. His eyelids drooped, unable to tear his gaze away from those glorious lips of her a scant inch from his own, feeling his heart start to pound away painfully in his chest.

"Call her," she breathed and he could taste her in the words.

Sami moved up as though to kiss him and he moved forward, eager for her to do so but at the last moment she started to draw back, slowly rubbing herself against his as she moved her body down his, until she had dropped to her knees in front of him. EJ's eyes widened in shock as he watched her.

She wasn't going to… was she?

Her hands went to his belt and started to unbuckle it, quickly undoing it and his zip and then pulling his pants down and letting them pool around his ankles. She looked up at him, biting her lip and gave him the sexiest, most alluring smile he'd ever seen and holding his gaze she pulled down his boxers and then to EJ's absolute delight licked her lips slowly.

_Oh thank you God, thank you God!_

At the first touch of her lips to his now impressively engorged member EJ made a fumbling grab for the cell phone in his coat pocket, desperate all of a sudden to make a call before all of the blood left his extremities completely. His hand was shaking wildly as he tried to get enough manual co-ordination to call up Nicole's number. He put it to his ear, swallowing noisily and praying she'd pick up quickly.

"_Yes."_

Nicole's voice was in his ear.

"Nicole, it's EJ DiMera," he told her, his voice uneven and distracted, unable to look away from the sight of Samantha on her knees in front of him, pleasuring him so relentlessly with that clever mouth of hers.

"EJ!" said happily, "I was just thinking about you and…"

"I have to cancel our meeting," interrupted EJ abruptly, not really wanting to prolong this when he had other things on his mind.

"You what?" asked Nicole and he could hear the annoyance in her voice but couldn't care less because now Sami's tongue was running up and down the length of him in a maddening fashion.

"Why?" she asked, put out.

"Some… something's come up," he stammered slightly as Sami began to use her nails to scratch along the sensitive flesh of his inner thighs.

_And how!_

"Well can't you just re-schedule it or something?" and there was a definite pout in Nicole's voice.

"Sorry, no," said EJ weakly, feeling himself starting to be come incoherent as Sami picked up her speed a little, "Pressing… this is a pressing matter… can't wait."

"But I was just about to leave EJ!" said Nicole, not giving in easily but either was EJ.

"Sorry," he said shortly and then just hung up the phone unable to talk anymore.

He threw it to the ground and then had to grip the edge of his desk with both hands as she started to use both her mouth and hands to increase the friction on his throbbing hardness.

_Oh god was there no end to the talents of this woman?!_

He felt the sweat starting to drip down his long back, his breath coming in agonised pants now and he would love to have been able to loosen his tie right about now but he had a real fear that if he let go of the desk his legs were simply going to give way. And the last thing he wanted to do was do anything that might cause Samantha to stop what she was doing to his body! EJ threw his head back and gave a series of excited groans.

Thank god he'd sent Marcie to lunch after she'd gotten the taxi for Mrs Jorgensen otherwise she would have been treated to an earful right about now!

"Sa… Samantha!" he panted helplessly, "Oh god Samantha YES!"

EJ felt his eyes rolled back in his head as she increased the pace, his knuckles now white from how hard he was gripping the desk top. He tried to stay still under her skilful ministrations but he couldn't stop his hips from starting to meet each of her pumps, all of his muscles bunching tightly as he quickly approached his end.

"Samantha!" he groaned the warning, "I'm close, you have to…"

But Sami simply gripped him tighter and EJ gave a whimper of sheer joy, realising her intention and wanting to scream his joy for the whole world to hear. A sharp spasm ripped threw him and a strangle cry heralded his release, feeling himself spill himself into her eager mouth and for a moment he thought he might have lost consciousness from the sheer ecstasy of it all. Sami slowly released him from her mouth, sucking hard as she did so that he could enjoy a last spasm of pleasure.

Sami slowly stood up, rubbing her body against his highly sensitised one now again as she straightened up, a look of pleased self satisfaction on her face at seeing what she' reduced him to. He was looking down at her, blinking groggily in a post climatic haze and loved having this kind of power over him, it made the ache between her legs even more painful.

"Liked that?" she purred, a sexy smile on her lips.

He nodded dazedly, still not seeming to be in his right mind yet.

"What more?" she whispered against his lips, tongue flicking out and tracing their shape teasingly.

He suddenly seemed to find some strength then because all of a sudden she was picked up and whipped around and being sat on his desk, Sami gasped in surprise.

"Yes," he growled against lips and a shudder ran through her at how sexy he sounded.

"How bad?" she teased him, wrapping her legs around his waist and rubbing her sex against him.

"Bad!" he hissed, feeling how wet she already was for him.

His hands went up under her skirt, looking to remove the last barrier between them, fumbling a little because they were still numb from what she'd just put him through but he was a man on a mission. He pulled her panties down and she had to reluctantly let go of his waist with her legs for him to do so but it was quickly done and EJ immediately settled himself back between her thighs, not wanting to lose contact with her for a second longer than he needed to.

"Oh EJ," she sighed, arching her back up and locking her ankles together behind his back, "You get me so wet."

EJ shuddered and gave groan at hearing her say something like that out loud. Sami gave a vixen-like smile to see his reaction. She leaned up, pressing her lips to his ear.

"When you're inside of me I feel like you're going to rip me in two with how big and hard you get," her voice a low vibration in his ear, "And I love it so much - can't get enough of it. When I'm lying alone in my bed I think of what you do to me and I get so wet…"

EJ moaned to hear her sexy confessions to him, loving the thought of those words on her lips and that she was saying them to him. EJ hadn't locked the door to his office when he'd come back in and the thought that anyone could walk in and her talking like this was unbearably exciting. He didn't care if who heard them, in fact he wonder if it would be beneath him to get Lucas on speaker phone right about now… probably… but it was still tempting.

The rest of that conversation and the ensuing energetic sex was something EJ would often sit at his desks at for years to come and think about. And there would be a wicked smile on his lips when he remembered just exactly how it was that the highly polished mahogany surface had sustained all those scratches to his right.

_For the rest of his life EJ would love that desk._

"You don't have to walk me to my car," said Sami, glad that he was though as they emerged from his office block out onto the street, blinking in the afternoon sunshine.

EJ smiled down at her and gave her a wink.

"I can never resist the sight of watching you walk away Samantha," he told her with a roguish grin, "I like to make the experience last as long as I can."

"Somewhat of a trait of yours," muttered Sami under her breath, trying to hide a little smile of pleasure at how long exactly he could seem to last.

EJ arched an eyebrow, pleased with how she was speaking around him all of a sudden, a devilish look on his face. They got to her car and he opened the door for her. Sami looked up at him, thinking how handsome he looked standing there, smiling down at her. She reached up a hand and stroked his face, he looked a little caught off guard at her gesture but quickly placed his hand over hers, holding it in place. Sami leaned up then, pressing a lingering kiss to his lips, exploring his mouth languorously with her tongue. EJ joined in and when they finally parted they were both breathless.

"Do you know what that was?" he asked her, his voice roughened as she stared at her, their faces still very close together.

"A kiss?" she offered up with a bit of a laugh.

"It was the first public display of affection that wasn't coerced or an act for someone else," he told her softly.

"Not counting last night," said Sami with a roll of her eyes, feeling herself blush at the memory of John and his dying cat comments.

EJ frowned in confusion at her statement but she just shook her head ruefully at him.

"I love you," he said simply then, looking down at her with such warmth that it made her toes curl up in her shoes.

Sami bit her lip, feeling suddenly overwhelmed by this man. She'd planned to talk to Lucas later on this afternoon and end it with him completely before telling EJ how she really felt, although he couldn't be in much doubt after what she'd just said and did with him but he still, he more than deserved the words.

"EJ," she began but he stilled her with a finger to her lips.

"Have dinner with me," he whispered, leaning in closer, his finger tracing the fullness of her lips lightly, "Tonight, have dinner with me Samantha."

He looked at her then, his rich brown eyes full of promise and hope and she nodded dumbly, unable to say no to this man any longer.

"We'll talk then," he promised her.

EJ leant down and pressed a tender kiss to her lips and Sami relaxed into it, feeling herself already getting excited about spending time with him tonight. EJ ended the kiss and took a couple of steps backwards, smiling at her with such a pleased, self satisfied look on his face that she had to laugh at him. He turned around then to head back across the street to his office.

EJ's hand slipped inside his coat pocket as he walked and felt the silk of Samantha's panties that he'd picked up and put there. She hadn't seemed to remember that she wasn't wearing them anymore and EJ was more than happy to have a little memento of afternoon delight. The smile that had been on his lips since she'd basically walked into his office this afternoon widened, happier than he'd ever been. The thought of what tonight would bring made him light headed with nervous expectation. Something had happened, he could see it in her face and at last… at long last Samantha was going to be his.

That was his last thought before everything went black.

Sami heard the sickening sound of the impact behind her and spun around. Her eyes widened at what she saw. She sucked in a horrified gasp, both of her hands flying to cover her mouth in dismay as she did. Suddenly her legs could no longer support her and she sank to the ground. Somewhere in the distance she could hear a woman screaming hysterically and realised it was her.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter FIFTEEN**

EJ awoke slowly, fighting his way back into consciousness to find a teary Sami peering down at him. His body ached painfully but he also felt strangely detached from it, as though he was experiencing the pain from a great distance somehow. He looked at Sami, seeing how pale she looked, how her hands were fluttering nervously.

"Hi," she said and gave him a rather forced smile that did nothing to mask her concerned expression.

"Hi," returned EJ slowly, his voice croaky from lack of use.

He looked around him, turning his head gradually from one side to the other and then looked back up at her, blinking rapidly.

"Am I in hospital?" he asked her with a little frown, moving his tongue around to try and unstick his very dry mouth.

"Yes," said Sami with a little bob of her head and he felt her taking his hand and he could feel that it was cold and shaking.

"Well I guess that explains why I'm peeing when I don't want to," said EJ straight faced, feeling the need to ease some of the tension in the room.

"Ah… yeah," said Sami a little taken aback by his comment, "You've got a… umm…bag thingy."

"Good to know," said EJ stoically.

"EJ?" said Sami nervously, sitting on his bed, still holding his hand and looking at him worriedly, "Are you alright?"

"I'm going to guess no," said EJ slowly with a pained quirk of an eyebrow, becoming more awake now, "Seeing as I'm in a hospital and they're not renowned for filling their beds with people who don't actually have something wrong with them."

"You don't remember what happened?" Sami quizzed him nervously.

"I remember you coming to my office," he said and gave a little wicked smile despite the soreness of his injuries, "I definitely remember that… thank god."

Sami rolled her eyes at him despite her anxiety. Even battered and bruised and stuck in a hospital bed he still had the strength to be EJ!

"I remember walking you to your car and then…" he trailed off, frowning slightly, "And the next thing I know I'm peeing without wanting to."

"You were hit by a car," she filled in the blanks for him.

"Hm," he said impassively, "That would do it I guess."

Sami looked at him worriedly, she wasn't exactly sure what to expect but he seemed to be taking everything in his stride considering.

"What time is it?" he asked suddenly, looking up at her a bit confusedly.

"It's about 9 o'clock at night," replied Sami softly, "You've been unconscious for about eight hours now."

"Hm,' he said again and then with a frown, "The twins?"

"They're fine," said Sami quickly, "I rang Grandma Caroline and she came over to look after them. Mom and John are here with me, they wanted to wait to see if you're alright."

"You should go home to the babies Samantha," said EJ roughly, a look of concern on his face, "They need you."

"_You_ need me," Sami corrected him, "They're being spoiled rotten by their great Grandma right about now I'm guessing, they'll be fine."

"But…" he went to protest but she stalled him.

"I'm not leaving you EJ, so forget about it," said Sami and there was that determined look in her eye again, "I'm not going anywhere."

EJ seemed to think about that for a minute, looking down at their joined hands and then back up at her with an odd look in his eye.

"Has my father come out of the coma all of a sudden?" he asked her, out of the blue.

"Stef… Stefano," stammered Sami in surprise at his sudden topic change, "No, he isn't - why would you ask that?"

"Well darling," said EJ with a vaguely suspicious look on his face, "The last time I was in hospital and you were saying these kind of things to me my father was outside the hospital room threatening to start up the vendetta again."

"That isn't what this is!" exclaimed Sami looking at him disbelief that he'd even say such a thing.

"Sorry," he mumbled the apology but still looking at her a little warily, "Just you can't blame a guy for being a little gun shy the second time round."

"Look, I said I was sorry for that!" she said in agitation.

"Actually sweetheart you haven't," he pointed out wryly.

"It's on my to do list," she bit out.

_Honestly this man! _

He was the only one in her life that could have her terrified, anxious, relieved, happy and then want to strangle him with her bare hands all with the space of about five minutes! He was maddening!

"You can't hit me I'm a wounded man," he told her with a little quirk of his lips, correctly guessing what she was thinking.

"Then stop being an idiot and it won't come to that," Sami warned him in exasperation.

He seemed quite coherent which was making Sami feel so much better. She'd sat their beside his bed for the last eight hours terrified that he wasn't going to wake up or if he did that she suddenly might have another John on her hands. Not that she was going anywhere if that had been the case but it was just the uncertainty of it all that had been driving her mad. He was just lying there and looking up at her contentedly and it almost made her wonder what it was she'd been worried about in the first place. This man seemed larger than life somehow, almost invincible - even up against a run away car.

EJ for his part was letting the information that Samantha was here because she didn't want to be anywhere else sink in. She was so obviously concerned for him and now more than ever he knew that she'd embraced her feelings for him utterly. It made all of this seem hardly worth worrying about anymore. If he had Samantha's love than he could weather anything. To know that this remarkable, irrepressible woman that'd he'd loved from their very first meeting, before he even knew what the word meant fully even, was his at last made him so blissfully happy that he couldn't seem to think about anything else.

"Aren't you going to ask me about your injuries?" asked Sami when he seemed content to just lie there looking at her as though he intended it to be his life work - just memorising every curve of her face.

"I figured they'd come up in conversation eventually," said EJ, thinking that she had the cutest nose he'd ever seen in his life, "No rush."

"You have a couple of cracked ribs," said Sami, giving a little grimace about how blasé he seemed about the whole injury thing, "You've got some bad bruising all along your right side where the car hit you but there doesn't seem to have been any real damage done to your internal organs thank god. You've got about ten stitches or so in your head but other than that we're just waiting for the doctors to give us a final report after they've looked at the CT scans."

Sami looked in anticipation at him, expecting him to have some questions for her and he did.

"Did you know that when you say the word 'stitches' your nose wrinkles up?" he asked her besottedly, "It's so endearing."

"EJ," said Sami in exasperation, "Did you hear what I just told you?"

"Broken ribs blah blah, stitches and bruising blah blah," told her unconcernedly and then gave her a warm look, "Kiss me."

"Kiss you?" repeated Sami with a little laugh, "You want me to kiss you?"

"I _always_ want you to kiss me," replied EJ truthfully, "Every moment since the day I met you."

Sami felt tears well up at his words. How was it that he could still be so romantic a couple of hours after being hit by a car? Why wasn't he anxious and worried like she was about what could happen to him.

"Kiss me Samantha," he repeated.

Sami gave a little choked sigh and leant down, pressing her lips ever so gently to his. She felt his hand come up to stroke her jaw line as their lips met. The kiss was chaste compared to so many of their others but to be able to feel his lips on hers again when she'd thought she'd lost him for good… it felt like the most passionate, remarkable kiss they'd ever shared. Sami pulled away slowly but keeping her face close to his. EJ reached out a long finger and stroked her lips, an intense look on his face.

"That made the whole being hit by a car thing worthwhile," he told her with a little smile, his voice low.

"EJ," said Sami achingly, shaking her head, "You could have died today, nothing would have made that worthwhile."

"Did they stop?" asked EJ with a frown suddenly, moving his fingers to run along one cheek now, "The person who hit me, did they stop?"

"No," said Sami, "They kept going - it was a hit and run."

"Deliberate?" EJ seemed to be thinking about the question as he asked it.

"They don't know yet," said Sami, "My Dad and Uncle Bo are looking into it. I tried to help them but I didn't see it happen, just heard it and after you were hit, well… I wasn't much use to anyone there for awhile."

"My poor Samantha," he lamented, fingers drifting along the delicate curve of her ear and then down her long neck, "I hate that you got such a fright."

"A fright?" said Sami painfully, "I was _terrified_ EJ, to see you lying their on the ground like that, not knowing if you were dead or alive. I don't think I've ever been that scared."

"You should know by now that I'm hard to get rid of," he chided her gently, "We DiMera's are thick skinned creatures designed to take life's little knocks. Even if the knocks are from on coming traffic!"

"Well I'd never thought I'd say this," said Sami straightening up and looking down at him ruefully, "But I'm glad you seem to share a trait of Stefano's. You appear to have gotten some of that Phoenix blood in your veins."

"That would be one of my father's better legacies," agreed in amusement, "I'm also hoping for a full head of hair like he's got when I'm his age."

"EJ," said Sami with a little laugh, "Be serious."

"I'm too happy to be serious sweetheart," said EJ with a grin.

"Now that isn't something you generally here from someone in a hospital bed."

Sami and EJ both looked up at the woman who'd walked into the room just as they'd been talking. The nurse smiled at them and walked over to the other side of the bed that Sami was sitting on, a box in her hands.

"I've got some of your personal belongings here Mr DiMera," she informed him, indicating the box she was holding, "They were on you when you had your accident and they took everything out of your pockets in Emergency when they were working when you first came in."

"I suppose my suit is no longer with us?" said EJ a bit sadly, he'd particularly liked that charcoal grey Armani.

"No," agreed the nurse with a little smile, "They had to cut it up to get to your injuries."

"An ignoble end for the poor creature," grieved EJ with a sigh.

"He really loves his suits," Sami explain to the nurse with a 'what are you gonna do' kind of shrug.

"So it would seem," said the nurse with a laugh, "I'll just put your belongings in the cupboard beside your bed here Mr DiMera okay?"

"Thank you Nurse," said EJ, watching as she began to unpack the box.

A pen, a cell phone, his wallet, a business card… a pair of purple women's satin panties.

The nurse gave EJ an interested look over the top of the lacy item whilst Sami squirmed in her seat with embarrassment. How did he end up with those?!

"I have a terrible problem with chaffing," said EJ straight faced to the nurses silent question, "I find the satin helps enormously."

The nurse quirked an amused eyebrow, seeing how the other woman in the room had just gone a brilliant shade of red and finding the chaffing explanation highly improbable. But she'd worked this job for a while now and she'd certainly seen far stranger things than this. Without another word she put the last controversial item in the cupboard and closed it. She gave them a knowing smile and left the room then.

"You really don't embarrass easily do you?" groaned Sami after the nurse had left, shaking her head in a kind of resigned admiration.

"No," he agreed happily, "And I think that it is a trait that is going to serve me well being married to you for the rest of my life sweetheart."

Sami looked at him and saw the pleased look of anticipation on his face and finally understood absolutely how this man loved her. All of the other men in her life had been horrified with her behaviours - her impulsiveness, how impetuous and reactive she could be. But looking at EJ's face she could only see an excited intrigue as to what new misadventure that she might bring into his life next.

He really did adore the bad girl in her just as much as the good and Sami never felt so free.

"Do you know what this mean?" asks EJ with a devilish quirk to his lips.

"That I've got yet another person to my list that I can no longer look in the eye," she sighed resignedly - at this rate she was going to get a crick in her neck from having to permanently look at the ground rather than at anybody ever again!

"It means that my beautiful wife is sitting by my hospital bed with no knickers on," grinned EJ, a decidedly lecherous look on his face, "Please tell me you haven't had time to go home and put another pair on."

"EJ!" exclaimed Sami, wondering if she was ever going to run out of blushes today, "I can't believe your talking like this - you've been seriously hurt and all you're concerned with is the state of my underwear!"

"It's not _all_ I'm concerned about," he said, waggling an eyebrow at her, "But it's an excellent place to start I'm thinking."

"What am I going to do with you?" asked Sami with a mock groan.

"Well I have a few ideas if you need some help in that department," he offered up very sincerely, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Ideas about what?" asked Marlena, walking into the room with John and catching the last of their conversation.

"Mom!" exclaimed Sami, shooting a warning look that told that he'd better not even _think_ about answering that question truthfully.

"About what to do about the twins about deciding if the twins need separate rooms or not yet," EJ lied smoothly.

"Sami and Eric slept in the same room until they were six," said Marlena with a smile at the memory, "But then Eric decidedly he couldn't live with somebody who never put anything away after themselves."

"I wasn't untidy," protested Sami with a pout, "Eric was just obsessive compulsively neat - still is."

The door to EJ's private room opened again and a doctor and nurse walked in, the small room starting to get quite crowded now.

"Hey it's a party," remarked John, looking around at everyone standing there now.

The doctor gave John a strange look but chose to ignore the comment.

"Mr DiMera," he began, looking over the top of his glasses at EJ and then back at the scans he had in his hands, "I've got the results of your tests here and I was wanting to discuss them with you and your wife in private if I can."

"We'd like to stay," said Marlena and then looking around at EJ for approval, "If that's okay EJ?"

"Of course," said EJ, inclining his head a little, touched by Marlena's concern.

"We're family," said Marlena firmly, "We're staying."

"Well if Mr DiMera is comfortable with that then that's fine," said the doctor, "Now it appears the you have a bullet lodged in your spine, just above L4..."

"We know that already," interrupted John flatly, "I hope that piece of detective work isn't going to show up on the bill."

"Uncle John please," grimaced EJ, not really needing John's particular brand of helpfulness right now, "My Uncle is right though, that is an old injury. I was told that they couldn't safely remove the bullet from my spine but it would able to be left there with no ill effects."

"Well that's true," agreed the doctor, "But that didn't take into account you being hit by a car."

"What are you saying?" asked Sami, starting to get nervous now, "Is there a problem with the bullet now?"

"Because of the traumatic nature of your husbands injuries Mrs DiMera there has been a lot of blood leaking into the surrounding tissue," the doctor began to explain.

"All the bruising," supplied Marlena, listening intently.

"That's right," said the doctor, "It's caused localised swelling and that in turn is causing the bullet to be moved from it's originally relatively benign position to where there is far more cause for concern."

"What does that mean exactly?" asked EJ.

"It means that we have to go in and take that bullet out of your spine," said the doctor.

"But I thought it was too risky a procedure," protested Sami, "That's why it was left there in the first place."

"Unfortunately with this latest trauma there is really no option," he said, "If we do nothing then that bullet will definitely end up in the nerves bundles of L4/L5. When that happens Mr DiMera will be permanently paralysed from the waist down."

"And if I have the surgery?" asked EJ, "What are my odds then - better than 0% I hope?"

"It's an extremely risky surgery," admitted the doctor, "At best we are looking at only a 20% chance of a positive outcome here. There are also some real concerns that due to some of your other injuries that you are not the best candidate to undergo a general anaesthetic at the moment."

"So," said John slowly, working it through out loud, "If he doesn't have surgery my nephew is going to be _definitely_ paralysed… and if he does he will only _probably_ be paralysed then… or _possibly_ dead."

"John!" exclaimed Marlena angrily as Sami gave a little sob of distress.

"What?" asked John in confusion, "Isn't that what the doctor just said? You didn't get mad at him."

"You don't have to put it so crudely," said Marlena in a low tone, glaring at him disapprovingly.

"But however you put it," protested John, "It means the same thing so what's the problem here?"

"It's fine Marlena," said EJ when he saw her open her mouth to try and get him to understand, "My Uncle is right, however you put it things look a bit grim right about now."

"EJ," said Sami shakily in growing distress, tightening her grip on his hand and looking at him desperately.

"It's alright sweetheart," he soothed her.

"20% chance of success," she repeated achingly.

"It's just a number Samantha," he comforted her, "And I see no reason why I can't be in that 20% - Phoenix blood remember?"

He smiled then, trying to get her to smile with him but instead a tear slipped down her face as she realised the enormity of what it was he was having to face now.

"Look," said the doctor, "I know this has all been a lot for you to take in at once but we really need to get this surgery happening if that is what you decide you want Mr DiMera. The trauma to your back is continuing to swell and it is just a matter of time before the damage is irreversible."

"I'll be having the surgery," said EJ calmly.

"Very good," said the doctor, "I'll go and make the arrangements and we'll get this happening as quickly as we can."

"Tonight?" asked Sami anxiously, "You're going to do the surgery tonight?"

"We really need to get to that bullet before the swelling pushes it somewhere we don't want it to be," said the doctor.

"But won't the surgeons be tired?" she asked anxiously, "It's the middle of the night, can't we wait until morning instead?"

"Our surgeons are very used to working at odd hours and are extremely competent," the doctor reassured her, "Don't worry Mrs DiMera, your husband is in the best possible hands."

The doctor gave a nod and left then, leaving a strained silence in his wake.

"I don't want you to do this!" exclaimed Sami suddenly, looking at him pleadingly, "You could die in surgery - I don't care whether you can walk or not - I just want you to be alive!"

"Sweetheart," he told her, trying to calm her down, "I want the surgery - if there is any chance that I might be able to retain the use of my legs I want to take it."

"But…" she protested, another tear escaping and leaving a watery path down her cheek.

"It will be okay Samantha," he told her softly, catching the single tear with a finger tip, "Trust me."

Sami gave a despairing sob and bit her lip, shaking her head, wondering how he could be so certain.

"I need to check on the twins," said Sami distractedly, needing to do something other than think about this for a few minutes.

"I'll come with you sweetie," offered Marlena and Sami gave a grateful nod before looking over anxiously at EJ.

"Will you be alright until I get back?" she asked him.

"Of course sweetheart," said EJ reassuringly, "Check on those beautiful babies of ours and make sure you let them know that Daddy loves them both and misses them terribly."

"I will," said Sami, attempting a smile but not quite pulling it off.

The two women left, leaving uncle and nephew alone.

"You know, I think _this_," mused John waving a hand up and down EJ's prone length as he lay in his hospital bed, "Is a much better plan to win Sami over than your last one."

"This wasn't a plan Uncle John," said EJ flatly, shifting uncomfortably in the bed, "I was hit by a car!"

"Still," said John, unfazed, "It's a better idea than pushing Sami towards another man but then, that was a stupid plan in the first place so it's not exactly hard to top it."

"Thank you for your opinion Uncle," said EJ sourly, "Duly noted but again - the whole getting hit by a car - not intentional."

"Apparently I was hit by a car," he told his nephew and if EJ didn't know better he could have sworn he was trying to be comforting.

"I know," said EJ evenly.

"Worked out just fine for me," continued on John.

EJ just stared at him for a long moment before speaking.

"You _died_ Uncle John," said EJ flatly, unimpressed by his reasoning, "There was a funeral and everything."

"Yeah but I'm feeling much better now," said John and EJ wondered if there would ever be an end to the bizarre conversations that he'd have with this man.

"Well that's just fantastic Uncle," said EJ ironically, "But if you don't mind I'm going to try and avoid the whole 'death thing' and just get on with everything working out fine."

"Okay," shrugged John, "But they say half the fun is in the journey and not just the destination."

"Well when '_they_' said that I'm pretty sure '_they'_ weren't including death as part of the journey," said EJ, rolling his eyes and wondering if he asking for more pain killers would make this conversation seem less surreal.

The nurse from the 'chaffing' incident returned and she smiled at them both.

"I'm just going to get you prepped for surgery Mr DiMera," she told him.

"Why?" asked John blankly, "Is there some kind of dress code before they can start digging away in his spine?"

"No," said the nurse slowly, looking at the older man a little uncertainly now, "I mean I was just going to take off any rings or jewellery and give him some premeds to take to make him a little drowsy."

"Actually," said EJ, his right hand unconsciously going to his wedding ring and twisting it, "Is there anyway I could keep my wedding ring on."

The nurse gave him an enquiringly look and EJ explained.

"It's just that I've never taken it off since my wife put it on my finger on our wedding day," said EJ with a little shrug, feeling the metal band under his fingers, "I know it's silly but I'd rather like to keep it on if I can."

"I can get some tape and tape it down for you," offered the nurse, "We only remove valuables so that they won't get lost."

"That would be great if you could do that," said EJ happily, a smile on his face, "I'd just really like to keep it on if I can."

"Of course Mr DiMera," said the Nurse, touched by his obvious devotion to his wife, "I'll just go and get some tape and be right back."

"Sorry," said EJ watching the nurse leave, "I don't mean to be a nuisance."

"That's fine Mr DiMera," she replied with a smile, "I'll be back in a minute."

"What?" frowned EJ when he saw the way John was looking at him, "You think I'm being overly sentimental don't you?"

"Actually I was thinking more along the lines of short sighted," shrugged John.

"What does that mean?" asked EJ in confusion.

"Well it seems to me the minute that ring was on your finger you got a bullet lodged in your spine, lost your inheritance and became homeless," reasoned John, "Maybe you'd be smarter to take it off, it hasn't exactly been a harbinger of good luck so far."

"That's ridiculous," scowled EJ unhappily at even the thought of such a thing.

"As you like nephew," said John with his usual calmness, "It's your funeral."

"Fantastic choice of words there Uncle," growled EJ, "Really helpful considering the circumstances! Cheers!"

"Just trying to help," said John, seeming to miss EJ's sarcasm.

"Well let me know when you're going to start and I'll be duly grateful," grimaced EJ.

Sami walked backed in then with Marlena just behind her. The two men looked over at them as they entered.

"John and I are going to wait outside until it's time for you to go into surgery," Marlena said with a warm smile, walking over to where John was standing.

"We are?" asked John flatly, looking over at her.

"Yes," said Marlena firmly, "We are."

John shrugged then.

"I guess we're going to waiting outside then," John said stoically, "Take it easy and don't let the bed bugs bite Nephew."

The three other adults in the room looked at him oddly.

"What?" he said looking back at them, "Didn't I get that right? Doesn't it mean have a good rest or something?"

"Yes Uncle it's right," said EJ slowly, "Somehow _deeply_ _disturbing_ though when a grown man says it to another but technically still correct."

"Well there you go then," said John unrepentantly and left the room.

Marlena gave a vaguely apologetic, embarrassed look on her husbands behalf but then just shrugged. Like they weren't all used to his odd ways by now!

"We'll see you before you go in EJ," said Marlena with a reassuring nod and then she smiled at Sami, "We'll just be outside the door when you're done sweetie."

"Thanks Mom," said Sami, attempting a brave smile for her mother's sake.

When she had gone Sami turned back to face EJ and they gave each other a rueful look.

"John's really not getting any less weird is he?" mused Sami .

"It would seem not," agreed EJ and they shared a smile and then he looked up at her thoughtfully, "And just so you know Samantha - this is not what I had planned for our big date tonight."

"No?" said Sami with a little laugh, "Really, because I thought this was special."

"_Everything_ is special when you're there," he told her.

"Sweet talker," she huffed at him good naturedly.

"Goddess divine," he returned, reaching out for her hand which she gave him willingly as he pulled her to sit on the bed beside him.

Sami reached out and stroked his face, being careful of the bruises and scrapes that it was currently sporting.

"Alone at last," he smiled, looking up at her with such devotion that it stole her breath away and she bit her lip, a broken sob catching in her throat.

_She couldn't lose this man now… she just couldn't._


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter SIXTEEN**

Sami sat by EJ's bed, hands nervously fidgeting as she told him that the twins were okay and they'd eaten all of their dinner but Johnny was fussing a little and wouldn't go to sleep.

"He misses you," said Sami with an anxious smile, "I think he's waiting for his goodnight kiss from his Daddy."

"I miss him too," replied EJ evenly and seeing how wrought she was he placed a calming hand over hers, "I'm going to be kissing both of those babies goodnight again very soon."

"Promise me," said Sami almost angrily, her eyes filling with tears, "You give me your _word_ Elvis DiMera that you are not going to leave me or those babies."

"I'm not going anywhere Samantha," he promised her soberly, "I can't…"

Sami felt a little bit of relief at how certainly he said those words which he kind of destroyed when he finished his sentence.

"… I don't have any pants," he continued on straight faced, "I'd be up on public nuisance charges before I could turn round… and turning round in these delightful hospital issue gowns that would be a definite no no."

He grinned at her then, trying to cajole her out of her nerves with a bit of humour.

"I'm not finding this funny EJ DiMera," she warned him although she couldn't help the corners of her mouth turning up ever so slightly at the impish look on his face.

_He really was impossible!_

"Don't look so worried darling," he admonished her, "I'm not."

"Well you've just been hit by a car," she said, rolling her eyes at his inexplicably relaxed attitude to this whole situation, "Brain damage hasn't been completely ruled out!"

"You are just so cute when you impute my mental capacities," he teased her.

"Yeah well I'm about to get a whole lot cuter than," she grimaced at him, "I don't know why you're being so upbeat about this whole thing - this is serious EJ!"

"Well darling," said EJ easily, "You seem intent on being serious enough for the both of us. Besides, every situation has an upside - you just have to find it."

"What can you possibly say is an upside to this?" asked Sami in quiet desperation.

"Well lets see," mused EJ with a little smile, "Okay… how about this? Not only do I get to where this rather fetching cap…"

He lifted a hand and pointed towards the disposable surgery cap he was wearing that the nurse had given him when she'd returned with the tape for his wedding ring just after Sami had come back in the room. She'd also given EJ some premeds before the general anaesthesia, so he had quite a nice bit of a buzz going on right about now.

"But, wait for it…" he drew out the moment, pulling back the sheets, "It comes with matching shoes."

Sami looked down at the disposable paper socks that were on his feet and shook her head, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

"Jealous?" he asked her knowingly, arching an eyebrow at her, "Bet you wish it was _you_ having a bullet taken out of your spine right about now eh?"

"EJ!" she groaned at his silliness, "This is serious - what if something goes wrong?"

"Well if something goes wrong," considered EJ, "How about this as an upside - at least I won't be hitting my head on that killer chin up bar of yours ever again."

She knew he was just teasing her to try and make her feel better which was a little ironic given the circumstances but she felt like her heart was going to break. Sami buried her head in her hands and started to sob.

"Hey, hey sweetheart," he said gently, reaching out to touch her arm, "Don't get upset - if it'll make you feel better you can lower the bar to wheel chair height so I can still hit my head any time you like, how's that eh? Just don't cry gorgeous girl."

"EJ," she grimaced around her tears, "How can you be so flippant at a time like this. You could be paralysed, you could die in surgery or get an infection afterwards, anything!"

"Just for the record sweetheart," he said straight faced, "This is _not_ the best pep talk you've ever given me."

"I'm sorry!" she wailed, bitting her bottom lip in anguish, "I don't mean to say all those things! I'm just so scared EJ!"

"Don't you understand, even now Samantha?" he asked her in quiet amazement, "You are _never_ getting rid of me, I love you, I will _always_ love you. Sitting or standing, that will never change."

"EJ," she choked.

"I have been through hell and back to be with you like this," he said with great earnestness, "So if you think, even for one minute, that a tiny piece of metal is going to stop me now then _that_ my darling girl is just crazy talk!"

Sami looked at him, knowing that she had to tell him that she loved him, couldn't have him going into surgery without having heard her say those words out loud to him. She leant over him and he blinked a little groggily up at her, reaching out a hand to touch her face.

"EJ," she said urgently, willing herself to hold back the tears so she could get this right, "I have never felt about _anyone_ the way I feel about you. From the first moment you walked into my life you changed _everything_ for me…"

EJ gave a little smile but pressed a finger to her lips, stilling her next words.

"Tell me when I get out of surgery," he told her.

"But…" protested Sami with a worried frustration.

"It will give me something to look forward to," he told her softly, blinking a couple of slow blinks now, "Plus I'm starting to feel a little… furry here sweetheart… and I don't want to forget or miss anything you say to me. I've waited so long, I can wait a few more hours - I'd wait forever if I had to for you Samantha."

Sami gave a little choked sob, the tears slipping down her face openly now. She could see that he was starting to become increasingly groggy, seeming now to be having trouble focusing on her face.

"I am going to right here when you wake up," she said determinedly, not even bothering with wiping away her tears now.

She carefully took his face in her hands and put her face close to his so he could focus on her properly.

"I'm going to be the first face you see when you open your eyes," she vowed to him, "I promise EJ."

He just smiled at her, his eyelids starting to droop and Sami carefully pressed a kiss to his forehead, making sure not to disturb his stitches. She squeezed her eyes shut and prayed as hard as she could that this wouldn't be the last time that she would be kissing this man.

Three hours later Sami was sitting in the waiting room, it was just past one o'clock in the morning now. Sami knew she should be used to hospitals by now, she'd sat in waiting rooms long enough after all, even been in the beds often enough but she'd always found hospitals at night to be particularly unsettling somehow. There was a quietness to them that made any noise that did happen seem even more confronting as they echoed down the halls. Everyone seemed to whisper, like they were in church or something bad was about to happen and Sami found it unnerving.

"What is this?" asked John.

Sami looked over at where John and her mother were standing, just to her right. Marlena had refused to leave her and even though she was pretty sure John didn't understand why they felt the need to stay - like they could do anything anyway if something went wrong - he'd stayed as well. John was currently looking down at the cup in his hand and then back at Marlena with a perplexed look on his face.

"It's coffee," she informed him.

"No," said John slowly, looking back down at the cup, "It's not. I've had coffee before - that isn't what this is."

"It's hospital coffee John," explained Marlena patiently, "It can take a little getting used to."

"Why would _anyone_ try to get used to this?" asked John blankly.

"There is a coffee shop in the foyer of the hospital," said Marlena calmly, "I was going to go for a walk down there and get something to eat. I can get you a coffee from there if you like, vending machines aren't the best place to get coffee's from."

"And what prevented you from telling me that _before_ I put my money in the machine?" asked John, not unkindly, more like he was interested to know.

"Do you want the coffee or not John?" asked Marlena unfazed.

"Not," said John, "I read somewhere that caffeine consumption can affect your memory - I don't have a lot of leeway in that area nowadays so better not risk it."

Marlena just nodded stoically, finding herself growing less and less thrown off by her husband nowadays.

"Sami sweetheart?" she asked, turning around to her daughter, "Can I get you anything?"

"No thanks Mom," said Sami with a shake of her head, "I think if I tried to eat or drink anything now I'd throw it back up again."

"Alright," smiled Marlena sympathetically, "I'll be right back."

Sami watched her mother leave and checked the clock for the who knows how many time now. They'd said it was a complicated surgery but was three hours good or bad? Did it mean that they were having problems or if they'd finished earlier than this would it mean they couldn't get the bullet our or something had gone horribly wrong?

Sami was dying a slow death by the hands of uncertainty, she almost envied EJ, at least he got to be unconscious through all this! Sami had to suffer through each debilitating second of it. But then she wondered in some ways if she'd deserved it. She had been so stubborn for so long about her feelings for EJ - maybe this was her penance? He hadn't exactly been perfect in his dealings with her in the last two years that was true but he'd been showing her how much he'd changed for a long time now and all she'd done was throw it back in his face.

And all he'd done was come back for the more.

He was the only one, _the only one _in her life that had never abandoned her. Everyone else had, even her own parents at some time or other, after some crazy stunt she'd pulled. She'd lied to EJ, tricked him, poured gasoline over him and lit a match, slept with another man when they were first married and he'd taken it. He'd also given as good as he got of course but he hadn't left, even when she was screaming at him to go, that she hated him, he'd stayed… because he loved her.

He didn't judge her by her last action or try to change her, he just accepted that this was who she was and didn't balk at it. It hadn't seemed possible that there could be anyone in the world like that for her and maybe that was why she'd taken so long to see it but she saw it now. Sami closed her eyes and prayed that she'd be given the chance to be able to tell him all this soon.

"He'll be fine."

Sami opened her eyes to see John standing there, looking down at her.

"Thanks John," she said with a weak smile, "Do you really think so?"

"I don't know," said John truthfully, "Could go either way."

"John!" exclaimed Sami in annoyance at his brutal honesty, "Then why did you say he was going to fine then if you didn't think it was true?"

"That's what your meant to do isn't it?" asked John in real bewilderment, "Tell people what they want to hear so they'll feel better."

"Yes," bit out Sami through clenched teeth, "But you don't then _tell_ people that you were only saying it to make them feel better!"

"But don't they generally _know_ already that you're only saying it to make them feel better?" John asked in confusion.

"Probably!" said Sami in exasperation, "But it doesn't work like that."

"It doesn't seem to work at all if your reaction is anything to go by," commented John flatly.

"You're actually trying to be comforting right now aren't you?" asked Sami flatly.

"Yes," said John.

"Then please, for the love of God, _stop_," said Sami very seriously.

John shrugged, not taking any offence.

Footsteps along the hall made them both turn their heads to look to see who it was and Sami gave a surprised gasp.

"Lucas!" she said, standing up and meeting him halfway, "What are you doing here?"

"I just found out," he told her, "I've been ringing your cell all afternoon and no one has been answering at the mansion."

"The twins are with Grandma Caroline," explained Sami distractedly, "I've had my cell phone switched off because we're in the hospital but Rolf should have been there to answer the phone."

"He's out," supplied John.

"Out where?" frowned Sami and then thought better of it, "No, don't answer that, I don't want to know!"

"I finally got onto your Dad and he told me what happened," said Lucas, "I can't believe it."

"I know," said Sami shakily, "It all seems to unreal."

"So, what's happening, what are the doctors saying?" asked Lucas, his face unreadable.

"They thought he was going to be fine initially," said Sami, her voice wavering as a new wave of hopelessness hit her, "But then the bullet in his spine started to move because of all the swelling from his injuries and now they have to remove it otherwise he's going to be paralysed but it's a really risky surgery and he could be paralysed anyway or even die."

Sami took a deep breath than after such a mammoth sentence, finding that it didn't get easier to say no matter how often she repeated it. The words just terrified her.

"The bullet?" said Lucas slowly, frowning.

"Yeah," said John ironically, "There's a gift for you that just keeps on giving."

Lucas looked over at John but the older man just stared impassively back.

"Sami," said Lucas hesitantly, "I don't know what to say."

"Whatever you do don't tell her everything is going to be fine," offered up John helpfully, "It makes her edgy."

"So it doesn't look good then?" asked Lucas, almost to himself.

Sami looked at him properly for the first time, starting to get some of her wits back.

"What are you doing here Lucas?" she asked him with a frown.

"I was worried about you," he shrugged.

"Not about EJ?" asked Sami, her suspicions growing.

"I think you know exactly what it is I think about that bastard," said Lucas unapologetically, "Death is too good for him."

"Whew," said John with an arched eyebrow, "And I got in trouble for telling her it was all going to be fine… this should be interesting."

_And he was right._

"How can you stand there and say something like that?" asked Sami, her voice raising in horror at his callousness.

"That man has done nothing but ruin people's lives," said Lucas unrepentantly, "He deserves everything he gets!"

"EJ doesn't deserve this!" Sami protested hotly.

"Why do you care Sami?" Lucas challenged her, "EJ DiMera raped you, made your life a living hell for how long now? You should be out throwing a party not sitting here like some devoted wife! You were forced into divorcing me to marry that monster and now I'm meant to feel sorry that he got what was coming to him, well sorry, no deal!"

"You don't get to say those things about EJ!" Sami defended her husband hotly, "He was there for me when you went to prison! EJ has always been there for me which is a whole lot more than I can say for you!"

John just stood there, looking back and forth between the two of them with great interest, as though he was watching a particularly enthralling game of tennis or something.

"I was in _prison_ because of EJ DiMera!" bit out Lucas.

"You were in prison because you hated EJ more than you loved me or those twins!" she hurled back at him.

"I have always loved you Sami!" he denied angrily.

"Really?" said Sami sarcastically, "You've _always_ loved me? Did you love me when you were chasing after Carrie how many times exactly? Did you love me when you let me sit on death row all that time for something you did? Did you love me when you married Nicole? Tell me Lucas, because I really want to know?!"

"We've had our problems," admitted Lucas grudgingly, "But you should never have doubted my love."

"I've _always_ doubted your love for me!" spat out Sami, all of this emotion she'd never known she'd had just spilling out of her, "You always made me feel like one wrong move and you were out of there. I feel like the whole time we were together I was doing nothing but holding my breath and waiting for you to kick me out again!"

"This isn't you," said Lucas with a bitter shake of his head, "This is EJ talking, he's got you so turned around that you are actually believing all the lies he's telling you! That man is like a cancer that just contaminates everything he comes in contact with…"

"I love him!"

Sami's breathless words hung between them and Lucas looked back at her with wide eyed shock.

"I love him," she repeated, more strongly now.

It was the first time she'd ever said the words aloud, to herself, to anyone. John gave an interested quirk of his eyebrow and promptly looked expectantly at Lucas, clearing anticipating a pretty good reaction from that one.

Again, he wasn't' to be disappointed.

"You _love_ him?" repeated Lucas harshly, "You love that animal EJ DiMera?"

"EJ is Johnny's father…" said Sami, holding her head high.

"Is this what this is?" interrupted Lucas in dazed confusion, "Some kind of misplaced loyalty just because he's Johnny's father?"

"No!" said Sami sharply, "This isn't about Johnny! EJ is the only person in my life that has never left me, no matter what I did!"

"That is because he's obsessed with you," spat out Lucas, "That's not love, it's a sickness!"

"No," said Sami with a proud shake of her head, "EJ loves me, really loves me and I just couldn't see it because no one man has ever loved me unconditionally before."

"So suddenly he's your Knight in shining armour?" sneered Lucas, "Well I guess your Knight needs to learn to look both ways before he crosses the street!"

"How did you know that EJ was crossing the street when it happened?" asked Sami suddenly, looking at Lucas in growing horror.

"You told me," shrugged Lucas.

"No I didn't," Sami shook her head.

"Well your father then," he countered, "I don't know, someone must have."

"Where were you this afternoon?" asked Sami, her voice hardening with distrust, "At around 1 o'clock?"

"Oh what?" he scoffed, "Suddenly you think I'm the one who ran down that son of a bitch?"

"The lady asked you a question," said John, looking at him intently.

"I was having a meeting with my parole officer," said Lucas defiantly, "If you don't believe me you can check. I just got out of jail, I'm not going to be stupid enough to run down that bastard no matter how much I might want to!"

Sami was just looking at him silently, seeming to be looking right into him.

"You did it," she whispered.

"I just told you…" began Lucas.

"You did it," she interrupted him, her voice getting stronger, "Not yourself but you got someone to do your dirty work for you didn't you?"

Lucas just looked back at her and shook his head at her in a kind of disgust at her sudden allegiance to a man she'd claimed to hate for so long.

"You did it," said Sami, her voice very certain now, "You SON OF A BITCH!!"

Sami just launched herself at him in a flurry of flaying limbs, intent on inflicting as much damage on the completely shocked Lucas as she could in a short amount of time.

"Whoa," said John with great interest now, watching the small woman land a few good blows, "This just gets better and better!"

Lucas was so caught off guard by her frantic attack that he took a step backwards and stumbled, Sami going down with him but she didn't relent even then. She was straddling him and screaming quite a few bad words and Lucas could barely hold off the flurried attack, his arms up in front of himself to try and protect his face, the rest of his body having no recourse but to take it. John looked up and gave a regretful sigh as he saw a security guard coming down the corridor towards all the commotion.

_Guess show time was over… pity._

John came up behind Sami and wrapping his arms around her waist from behind he just lifted her off the struggling man. Sami fought wildly in his arms, still spitting venom at Lucas but John just kept her feet off the ground and pinned against him until she had no option but to stop. The security guard reached them, a little out of breath and stared at the strange tableau in front of him.

A man was lying on the ground, blood coming out the side of his mouth and some scratches to his face and arms. Another older man currently was holding a vaguely crazed looking blonde woman in front of him, her feet off the ground.

He stared at them, they stared at him.

"Sorry Officer," said the older man calmly, still with the blonde in his arms, "The kids here were just having a disagreement about what channel to leave the TV on."

The security guard looked up at the big screen TV in the waiting room and then back at this bizarre trio.

"We're going with animal planet," John informed him evenly, "My choice."

"Are we done here?" asked the guard sceptically, "Because this is a hospital and we can't have people duking it out in the corridors."

"Oh we're done!" spat out Lucas, getting to his feet and giving Sami a blistering look which she returned just as angrily, "We are absolutely done!"

With that Lucas stomped off down the corridor and the guard looked at the two remaining people.

"Thanks Officer," said John and even smiled in what was meant to be a reassuring fashion, "I've got it from here."

Marlena passed the security guard in the corridor and came across John and Sami in the same position the guard had found them in.

"Was that Lucas I just saw leaving?" she asked them and then looked them both up and down, "And do I really want to know what is going on here?"

"I would," said John and he almost sounded cheerful as he put Sami down at last, "But that's just me."

Two hours later again Sami sat by EJ's bed, holding his hand. The surgery had gone well, they'd gotten the bullet out and the doctor's seemed quite optimistic about EJ's chances of walking again, Sami could have cried with relief. Now all he needed to do was wake up and not manage to get any post op infections like he'd done last time.

Was that too much to ask for now that they'd come this far?

Sami looked down at EJ's hand that she had clenched between her two smaller ones, seeing the wedding ring John had told her he'd refused to take off still taped down.

"You know EJ," she said softly, stroking his hand, "For the longest time I've tried to convince myself that I hated you, that you meant nothing to me."

Sami gave a choked little laugh at her the thought.

"I can be pretty stubborn," she said with a self depreciating grimace, "But I guess you know that already."

She looked at his face as he lay there, eyes closed, long lashes hiding those warm dark brown eyes of his away from her.

"You terrify me," she confessed to him achingly, "You make me feel so much, all the time, it's like I can't catch my breath whenever I'm around you. I didn't know what to do with that, I couldn't believe that someone would ever want me the way you said you wanted me. So I ran and then everything got so messed up between us and I even when I was hating you I missed you so much. I missed that man on the pier that I danced with, who told me I as beautiful and that I was worth so much more than I ever believed."

Sami took a deep breath and blew it out again.

"The truth is EJ you have never been out of my thoughts, not for one minute since we first met," she told him achingly, "Even when I was hating you, you were all I could think about. And now… and now you're in my heart too. I love you EJ, completely and utterly and I want to wake up beside you everyday for the rest of my life. I want to see you across the breakfast table everyday, I want to raise our twins with you."

Sami raised his hand to her lips and pressed a kiss to it.

"I can't live without you EJ please…" she whispered achingly, "…please don't make me live without you. I love you."

"Now," said EJ, eyes still closed and she started at the sound of his voice when she'd thought he'd been sleeping, "Was that so very hard?"

EJ opened his eyes and gave her a cheeky, if somewhat groggy look. Sami gasped in horror, not that she hadn't wanted him to hear the words but put out that he'd been awake all this time and just letting her twist in the wind like that.

"I could kill you sometimes!" she threatened him, halfway caught between a laugh and more tears.

"You had your chance at the cabin," he said smugly, his voice still rough and dry sounding from the surgery.

"Well I guess I'm just going to have to love you instead," said Sami with a happy sob, her voice softening as she realised that she'd been given the most precious of all things… a second chance.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter SEVENTEEN**

It was about seven o'clock at night the next day and EJ was sitting up in bed, more or less and eating his dinner. John was with him keeping him company as Sami had finally been convinced to go home earlier that morning after EJ had played the 'twin' card.

"Did Samantha get some sleep today?" asked EJ, pushing the uninspiring food around on his plate.

"Blondie said she made her go to bed for a few hours after getting the twins organised," replied John, coming to stand by his nephews bed, "But I think she is planning to come and stay the night here with you, I saw her packing an overnight bag."

Then John seemed to think about that for a moment.

"That or she's leaving you," he mused with a shrug, "She didn't say which."

"I thought we agreed," said EJ straight faced, "You weren't going to try and cheer me up anymore remember Uncle? I find it depresses me."

"As you wish Nephew," said John unblinkingly.

"I heard there was a bit of a commotion last night," said EJ, no one had been particularly forthcoming with details but he'd overheard some nurses talking.

He assumed everyone was keeping whatever had happened from him because of his 'condition' but EJ didn't like being out of the loop and he knew he could rely on his Uncle to tell it how it was.

"Your wife tried to kill someone with her bare hands," John informed him and then gave the barest of smiles, "It was very entertaining. She's quite the hellion isn't she?"

"Who did Samantha try to kill?" asked EJ with a perplexed frown.

"Her ex," said John.

"Lucas?" repeated EJ.

"Yeah, apparently she took umbrage with him wishing you dead and all," supplied John, "That and he was the one who actually tried to kill you."

"Wait," said EJ, trying to keep up, "Lucas admitted to running me down?"

"The wild cat seems to think he got someone else to do it because he had an alibi that's easy enough to check out," mused John.

"But did he admit to it?" asked EJ, keenly interested now.

"Didn't have a chance because the wild cat had tackled him to the ground and was trying to claw his eyes out," said John.

"I'd have liked to see that," said EJ wistfully.

"It _was_ great," his Uncle confirmed sagely, "But I can see why you have that cat allergy problem though."

EJ looked at him a little askew but let that one slide.

So Samantha had let rip with Lucas because she thought he was the one who'd run him down or at least was behind it? A smile came to his lips imagining her doing it, having been on the receiving end of one of her punches he sure would have liked to see Lucas have his turn. This woman was beyond magnificent.

"It will be hard to prove," his Uncle warned him seeing his happy face, "Lucas is not going to confess to it anytime soon from what I saw and I'm sure he would have been careful covering his tracks. He has a lot to lose if it ends up being traced back to him."

"He had a lot to lose the first time he tried to kill me and that didn't stop him from being found out," scoffed EJ with a self satisfied smile, "Trust me Uncle John, if brains were dynamite that guy couldn't blow his nose."

It was all unravelling for Lucas and the beauty of it all was that he had no one else to blame but himself. Everything was coming up EJ at last! A thought occurred to him and he grimaced.

"What?" asked John, seeing his sudden mood change.

"I was just thinking about Ali," said EJ a bit sadly, "Trust me, I'll be one happy man when Lucas is back in prison but I just wish it didn't mean that Ali's father is a jail bird."

EJ gave a shake of his head.

"It just seems like a terrible shame that the father of that beautiful little girl couldn't put her first above his petty need for revenge," said EJ resignedly, "She deserves far better than that, she's such a special little creature."

"She's got better than that," shrugged John, "She's got you. Ali's father isn't in jail he's sitting right here. Blood can only take you so far, the rest you have to earn."

"Thank you Uncle John," said EJ sincerely, moved by his words.

"I did better that time didn't I?" asked John smugly, "With the comforting."

"Much better," agreed EJ with a smile.

"I knew it," said John, "Tell the truth often enough and something is bound to not suck."

"You're a wonderfully strange freak of nature aren't you Uncle?" said EJ reflected with great affection.

"I like to think so, yes," said John flatly, his face totally impassive.

EJ shook his head again and looked back down at his plate of still very unappetising looking food. He took a mouthful and grimaced.

"Tastes like blue right?" said John knowingly, nodding at his food, when he saw the other man's expression.

EJ looked down at his plate and then back at his Uncle, having to admit that the food did in fact have a certain… blue after note to the flavour. Maybe it was only something that you became aware of after you'd been hit by on coming traffic.

"Told you," said John smugly with a little bit of a smirk.

EJ shook his head, maybe he _should_ have that second CT scan that they were all pushing him to have after all because Uncle John was starting to make sense and EJ had to admit, it was worrying.

He looked at John as he stood there and felt a sudden wave of kinship with the man.

"You know Uncle John," he began hesitantly, "I never really thanked you for taking Samantha and I and the twins in when you did. I know it was an imposition."

"We're family," shrugged John, "That's what families do for each other - at least that's what Blondie told me."

"Yes, well, _some_ families," said EJ with a poignant little smile, "I just wanted to say though that you know… if… or rather _when_ you get your memories back…"

EJ trailed off and tried to find the right way to say this. John just stood their, watching him impassively, EJ recognised the look - it was blank expression No.5 which meant he was interested to hear where this was going.

"What I'm trying to say is Uncle," EJ began again, "That _when_ you get your memory back, if there are certain things that you might remember happening between us… you know harsh words, misunderstandings… one of us shooting the other just for arguments sake. Well I'd like to think that we've manage to outgrow some of our ugly history shall we say."

"You shot me?" asked John flatly, quirking an eyebrow.

"I _didn't_ say that!" said EJ quickly, "What I was saying that if I _had_ shot you out of… I don't know… some misguided loyalty to my father for example, that I'd like to believe that we could both find a way to move past that, that's all. What do you say?"

"Hmm," said John, thinking deeply - blank expression No.2, "Firstly I guess I'd say I was happy that you are obviously a better lawyer than you are a shot, if you _had_ shot me of course…"

EJ gave a little grimace at the dig but let him continue.

"And then I'd say that what's in the past stays in the past," finished John, "Can't change it so we just have to go forward."

"Thank you Uncle," smiled EJ, "That means a lot to hear you say that."

"I don't know why," said John impassively, "It's not like you _actually_ shot me now is it Nephew?"

"Quite," said EJ with a rueful smile, "I see your point."

"Are we having another moment?" asked John suddenly.

"Yes Uncle," said EJ with a little laugh, "We're having another moment."

"I'm getting good at those," said John with a self satisfied look, "Tell Blondie."

"I'll be happy to put a good word in for you with Marlena Uncle," smiled EJ, "Although I'm not sure if my word means that much to her."

"Blondie likes you," said John impassively.

"Well, I can be quite charming when I put my mind to it," conceded EJ.

"Really?" quizzed his Uncle sceptically, "Because that wasn't the vibe I was getting from people when we first met."

"You remember that moment we were having Uncle John?" asked EJ straight faced, "Well your killing it - just to let you know."

Sami walked in the room there and EJ's face lit up, feeling like it had been forever since he'd seen her last.

"Hi," she smiled, feeling a tingle go through her at the way he was looking at her, as though all his Christmas' had come at once.

"Hi," he returned, grinning like a loon but not being able to help it.

Sometimes he had to pinch himself to remind himself that this wasn't all some wonderful drug induced dream. Samantha was here because she loved him, wanted him as much as he did her. They were finally going to be together the way he'd always dreamed - unreservedly and completely.

"Well I don't think my services are required any longer," said John, doubting that the two of them even remembered he was still in the room with the way they were looking at each other.

Sami and EJ were just looking at each other with such a look of intense devotion John knew that they probably hadn't even heard him.

"Right," said John impassively.

"Thanks Uncle," said EJ distractedly, not taking his eyes off Sami, "Bye."

John rolled his eyes and left the kids to it.

"You're here," EJ smiled at her, never knowing someone could feel this happy and live.

"I'm here," Sami agreed, unable to stop smiling herself as well.

"I'm so glad," he told her.

"Me too," she answered, biting her lip.

"You're too far away," he complained, holding out his hand to her.

Sami walked over to him and took his hand and he pulled on it sharply, bringing her closer to steal a kiss. She gave a breathless laugh, hardly able to believe how much she'd missed him since seeing him earlier today.

"I missed you," he said, seeming to be able to read her thoughts effortlessly, "How are the twins?"

"Missing you but fine," said Sami, "Mom is going to look after them tonight for me."

"So I have you all to myself then?" grinned EJ, kissing her hand and looking at her over the top of it at her, "Life doesn't get much better than this."

"I'm hoping it will get a bit better than this when you get out of hospital," grimaced Sami, "I don't particularly want to be seeing you in here for much longer."

"I won't be," he said confidently, "I've got too much waiting for me on the outside of this hospital."

"I'm holding you to that," said Sami with a little half smile and then held up the overnight bag she had in her other hand, "So sleep over it is then?"

"Most definitely," grinned EJ, "But only if we can braid each others hair and talk about boys."

"You've been spending too much time with your Uncle," commented Sami dryly, taking back her hand and walking over to the cupboard on the other side of his bed.

"The thought had occurred," said EJ with a sigh, thinking back to his 'blue' food.

"You know there is one good thing about all this," said Sami as she stowed her overnight bag away in the little cupboard.

"And what is that sweetheart?" smiled EJ absently, lost in admiring how beautiful she was.

"Well with you being in hospital and all the rehab in front of you," said Sami with a smug smile, "You're going to have to tell that bottom feeder Nicole to find a new lawyer."

"Not necessarily," said EJ.

"What!" scowled Sami and EJ had an almost overwhelming urge to kiss away that ever so cute pout of hers, "Are you kidding me?!"

"I don't need my legs to be a lawyer," he pointed out reasonably, knowing it was wrong but still loving how territorial she was about him nowadays, "There is nothing wrong with my brain Samantha, I'll easily be able to do the stuff I need to do to get better and handle Nicole's divorce case at the same time."

"But I thought we'd agreed?" said Sami getting upset.

"When did we do that?" asked EJ perplexed

.

"When I came to your office, you know, on the day of your accident," said Sami in exasperation, "And we… umm… talked about it."

"Oh right," said EJ his eyes widening with realisation, "That's right I remember now. You came to my office with some rather persuasive arguments about dropping Nicole as a client."

EJ gave a regretful click then and shook his head sadly.

"But you know sweetheart," he said with mock regret, "I _was_ then hit by a car so I'm afraid my recall about that… conversation is a bit hazy. I tell you what, why don't you jot down the main points of your argument so I can go over them later and think about it… or…."

EJ looked at her with an earnest expression as though he really was only trying to help.

"… or if you think that might be too much effort you could always just give me an _oral_ summary of the highlights."

A cheeky grin broke out on EJ's face then and Sami was left in no doubt as to what kind of _oral _report he was hoping for.

"You are shameless," she said with Sami with a resigned shake of her head even as she felt a blush heat her skin.

"It's a trait we both share I'm very happy to say," he smirked back at her.

"We'll talk about the Nicole thing later," said Sami, trying to be stern with him and keep control of a situation he seemed intent on leading in an entirely inappropriate direction, "I want to talk to you about the tests they want to run on you. Your doctor said that you refused to have another CAT scan on your back or that other test thing they wanted to do on you. What are you doing EJ, you have to let the people who know what they're doing do their job!"

"I'm not a lab rat Samantha," and now it was EJ's turn to pout.

"I need to know you're going to be alright EJ," said Sami earnestly, coming to stand by his bed, "If these tests they want to run on you will help us make sure that you will be then you have to do them."

EJ looked at her desperate expression and instantly relented - as though he could deny her anything.

"Okay, how about this then?" he sighed, "I'll let them poke and prod me… if you let me poke and prod you."

He wiggled his eyebrows at her then and gave her a particularly lecherous grin along with it.

"EJ!" exclaimed Sami in horror but the corners of her mouth were turning up in an answering smile even as she did.

"I think that is a fair deal," he said happily, "Everyone gets what they want then."

"I am not going to do… _that_ with you while you're still in hospital recovering from major surgery!" said Sami in a low voice, looking around self consciously in case someone should suddenly walk in on their conversation.

"I'm not talking about… _that_," grinned EJ at seeing her discomfort, "I was thinking more along the lines of… I don't know… undoing a few more buttons on that blouse for me… or promising never to wear underwear again when you visit me… or even a quick fondle of your…"

"EJ!!" Sami cut him off, her mouth hanging open at his cheekiness, her cheeks flame red now.

Sami suddenly realised that up until this point she'd only seen EJ at half speed when it came to flirting with her.

It seemed unbelievable but all the outrageous flirting that he'd done with her up to this point was now clearly only the tip of the iceberg! He must have been holding himself back before but now that she'd confessed her love for him he obviously felt comfortable enough to unleash his full flirting arsenal on her and this was him in hospital, one day after major surgery and on painkillers. Whatever was she going to do with him when he was back on his feet again?! Sami's felt that now familiar warmth rush through her core as a future with this irrepressible, sexy man who adored her stretched out in front of her.

"What's the matter sweetheart?" asked EJ with a cheeky grin, seeming to guess what she was thinking again, "Worried you've bitten off a little more than you can chew with me eh?"

"Hardly!" snorted Sami, never one to back down from a challenge.

She put her hands on her hips, narrowing her eyes and looking him up and down with a measured look.

"And if I agree to your little deal then you'll be a good boy and do as the doctor's ask?" she quizzed him, eyeing him mistrustingly, "You promise?"

"I make no promises about being a good boy," he said with an evil look on his face, "But I _promise_ I will do anything and everything the doctors ask of me in return."

"Okay then," said Sami defiantly, "But I'm not taking any clothes off – this is a public hospital – my Mom works here, your sister works here. I'm not having them walk in and catch me like that!"

"But…" she forestalled him when she saw he was about to complain, "In exchange for you co-operating with the doctors I will let you touch one part of my body and only one! Take it or leave it."

"Take it!" he said hastily, his eyes lighting up like a kid in the candy store at her offer, "Definitely take it."

Sami laughed at how eager he sounded and shook her head at him.

"Okay then," she said, enjoying their game, "Pick one."

EJ looked at her, saw her own impish pleasure at their 'deal' and knew more than ever that he'd found his equal, someone to go through life's adventures with, a partner in the truest sense of the word. His eyes wandered openly all over her body as she stood their, hands on hips looking at him with a cheeky defiance.

"Come on EJ," she said with a laugh as he took his sweet time looking at him, "Just pick one already!"

"Don't rush me!" he pouted, "I have so many favourite parts of your body it is hard to choose just one. In fact it could well be an impossibility!"

"Well times running out mister," said Sami biting her lip at the thrill she felt when he looked at her so hungrily, "So pick one."

EJ looked dragged his eyes from his fascinated inspection of her body and held her gaze.

"So I get to touch any part of your body?" he asked her huskily, "_Any_ part I want for as long as I want, is that the deal?"

"Yes," she said breathlessly, her pulse quickening at what might happen next, she just couldn't seem to get enough of this man.

EJ held her gaze and reached out his hand and Sami's body began to throb in anticipation of that first touch. She couldn't let this go very far but how badly did she want to! Sami gasped as his long fingers wrapped themselves around her hand and pulled her a little closer. She looked down at their entwined hands and then back at him in surprise.

"You want to hold my hand?" she said in amazement, "My _hand_?"

"Yes Mrs DiMera," he told her softly, "I want to hold your hand."

EJ brought her hand up to his lips and pressed a soft, warm kiss to it, looking up at her lovingly through his long lashes.

Sami felt a lump in her throat at the range of emotions that this man could make her feel.

"Is that okay?" he asked her with a little smile on his lips at seeing how affected she was.

"That is more than okay Mr DiMera," she whispered back, threading her fingers through his.

"I love you so much," he told her achingly.

"I love you too," she said softly, putting her other hand over the top of their joined ones and pressing them to her stomach, "So much."

"Say it again," he begged her.

"I love you EJ DiMera," she repeated to him earnestly, "I think I always have and I _know_ I always will."

"I'm cold," he complained softly, "Come and warm me up."

Without letting go of his hand Sami lay on the bed, on top of the covers, her body up against the length of his, her head on his shoulder and his arms around her. He was _anything_ but cold as she felt the warmth of his body even through the sheets between them. EJ ran his free hand down her back, a light touch that made her shudder. He reached the base of her spine and then she felt his hand slipping down the back of her pants, cupping a bare bottom cheek and give a teasing squeeze.

"Hands EJ!" she warned him with a smile.

"But you have such a great bum Samantha," he pouted, "It was calling to me, I had no choice."

"So what?" complained Sami pretending affront, "I'm talking out of my ass now? Move the hand buster or else! You've got your body part, you made your choice. You're in no condition to be making good with any thing you may be thinking of starting anyway so just lie there and behave yourself!"

She felt EJ's deep laugh burble up from inside him as her cheek lay against his chest and thought she'd never heard a better sound in the world. It was like she was home at last, finally able to rest. The most complete sense of peace enveloped Sami as she lay there. The room was dark now, EJ having turned off his overhead light, as they held each other in their arms. There was only the faint noises of the hospital drifting through the closed door to them every now and then and there was a soothing quality to the hum of one of the machines EJ was hooked up to. Sami could feel her eyes drifting shut, exhausted by all the emotion of the last few days…

"Hands EJ!"


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter EIGHTEEN**

Sami strolled out through the French doors at the back of the DiMera mansion and walked over to the edge of the pool watching the man currently enjoying use of it. It was a balmy night so night swims were no problem and EJ and taken to using the pool as part of his physiotherapy. The doctors had told him that it would be at least five or six weeks before he was up on his feet, he'd done it in less than three just to prove them all wrong.

When EJ DiMera set his mind to something nothing could stop him.

Sami gave a little smile at the thought; she was living proof of that. He still used a walking stick but Sami doubted that he'd be relying on that for very much longer. His recovery had been nothing short of miraculous, he told her it was her but Sami rather doubted it. It was just another testament to the indomitable spirit of her husband. She watched him cut a forceful swath through the water, his upper body becoming even more powerful nowadays for having to compensate temporarily for his legs during his recovery. The swimming had also gone a long way towards that. EJ stopped swimming then, having seen her during his lap and he treaded water about twenty feet away from her and grinned up at her.

"They still asleep?" he asked her, knowing it was her usual time to be checking on the twins.

"Like perfect angels," nodded Sami, returning his smile, "I can't believe those are the same children that were screaming the house down this afternoon."

"They do have their moods," conceded EJ, "But they're still the most perfect, gorgeous babies that have ever drawn breath and no one will convince me otherwise."

"Not that you're biased or anything," Sami teased him.

"Absolutely not," said EJ firmly and then they both gave a little laugh.

"So," drawled EJ, looking her up and down, "Feel like a dip Mrs DiMera?"

Marlena and John were having dinner together at Chez Rouge and Rolf was out as well. Sami still hadn't had the nerve to find out what he did with his nights. Don't ask, don't tell was her motto when it came to Rolf.

"I don't have a bathing suit," sighed Sami regretfully.

"And yet," said EJ with an absolute straight face, "I am strangely alright with that."

Sami shook her head at him. They hadn't had sex since the day at his office, just before EJ was hurt but not for lack of trying on EJ's behalf. But Sami was terrified that he was going to hurt himself and do some permanent damage. They'd come this far the last thing she wanted to do was jeopardize his recovery just because they couldn't keep their hands off each other.

Of course that was easier said than done and every day EJ got a little bit better Sami found it harder and harder to put him off… mainly because she was as desperate for it as he was! It had only just reached the one month mark since his surgery and the doctor's were very pleased with his progress but Sami couldn't help but worry.

"But if I take my clothes off and come in you'll still have your bathing trunks on," pointed out Sami, "That isn't very fair now is it?"

EJ immediately ducked under the water, surfacing a few seconds later with the black swimming trunks he'd been wearing. Next thing Sami knew they were sailing through the air and landing with a wet squelching sound at her feet. She looked down at them and then back at her husband who was smiling smugly.

"I'm a problem solver," he informed her sagely.

"So I see," said Sami dryly.

"So?" EJ arched an inviting eyebrow at her.

"We're not having sex," she warned him warily.

"Absolutely not," agreed EJ readily.

EJ looked at this as a work in progress. If he could get Sami to take her clothes off and get in the water with him then he'd start working on the next stage. He'd learnt patience loving this woman and he'd always been relentless.

"Are you just saying that because you think that I won't be able to control myself once I'm in the water with you?" Sami asked folding her arms in front of herself and narrowing her eyes at him.

"Absolutely not," EJ repeated the lie again easily.

He was a hard man to say no to, especially when Sami really didn't want to in the first place. She had a quick look round to make sure that no one was around but the back garden of the DiMera mansion was well protected and unless someone came in from the house they had their privacy. Sami started to unbutton her pants, stepping out of them and then started on her blouse. EJ meanwhile had swum over to the side of the pool, stretching his arms out along the top, his back against the wall and was watching her intently, the beginnings of a lascivious smirk on his face as he watched her undress in front of him.

"You know a gentleman would look away," Sami told him, her blouse joining her jeans on the ground.

"Lucky for both of us then that I'm no gentlemen," grinned EJ and she shook her head at him again.

Her bra was next and EJ gave a low growl at the sight of her naked breasts.

God but she was beautiful… and she was all his, for the rest of their lives, no one's but his.

Sami quickly pulled off her panties and feeling particularly exposed immediately dove into the pool. She swam under the water until she reached where he was propped up against the wall and surfaced, just in front of him. Sami treaded water, her legs too short to touch the bottom of the pool like his were. EJ looked at the water nymph in front of him, pale hair darkened from being wet, rivulets of water trickling down the curves of her face, enticing him to rediscover those soft angles for himself. He went to move towards her but she swam back a little, shaking her head at him.

"Behave yourself EJ," she warned him but the smile on her lips kind of ruined the effect, "Remember your back."

"I'm a little more focused on my _front_ right now," he told her, his lips twitching with a teasing grin, "And _your_ front has got me particularly intrigued I have to say."

"Are you _ever_ going to stop flirting with me?" sighed Sami, sounding hopelessly annoyed but both of them knowing she was anything but.

"Certainly," said EJ, very seriously, "The moment I take my last breath that will probably be it for me on the flirting front… until we meet in the next life of course. Then I'll have some lost time to make up for so you'd better brace yourself."

"You are impossible," said Sami with a resigned sigh,

"And you are the most gorgeous, irresistible creature I have ever seen in my entire life," said EJ, "And if I don't kiss you this very moment I'm probably going to have an instant relapse."

"Well," said Sami slowly, "I guess we can't have that can we? One kiss but that's it."

EJ's smile widened as he walked over to her as she still hung there, treading water in front of him.

"One kiss," she reminded him as he moved in for his prize.

"One kiss is all I'll need," he told her sexily and she opened her mouth to tell him off for being so cocky but then his lips were on hers and she couldn't remember what it was that she was upset with him about any longer.

At the first touch of his lips on hers she felt his arms go around her, supporting her so she no longer had to mark time in the water. Sami put her arms around his neck, sinking into the kiss and him. Their tongues met in a dance of domination and submission, each taking their turn until they finally had to end it, both of them breathing raggedly from arousal and lack of oxygen.

"Oh god!" he groaned, his breath hot against her flesh as he pressed open mouth kisses down her neck, "The things I want to do you Samantha!"

"Oh," purred Sami, a smile on her lips, "What kind of things?"

EJ pulled his head back from where he'd been nibbling on the soft skin of her neck, his eyes warm with desire and love.

"I've started a list," he told her and then made as though he was going to get out of the pool, "I'll just fetch it shall I?"

Sami tightened her grip on his neck, laughing at his silliness.

"A list?" she repeated in amusement, "You've made a _list_."

"Yes," said EJ, moving back into her arms again properly, "I've had to occupy my time someway since you've been so unreasonable about the nooky thing since my operation."

"Not wanting to cripple you is being unreasonable?" Sami challenged him.

"Some things are simply worth the risk," he told her very seriously, "You know it won't take me a minute to go and get that list, there's some good stuff on it, I promise."

Sami smiled and ran her hands through his wet hair, nails scrapping along his scalp and making him shiver a little.

"Why don't you wing it?" she suggested, pressing her body up against his, her voice low.

"Hmm," said EJ, pretending to be thinking, "Well I definitely remember this being on the list."

He leant down and kissed the delicate skin were her neck and shoulder met and Sami gave a little smile.

"And these…" he looked down at the breasts pressed against his chest with an evil leer, moving a hand up to cup one full mound, "… _these_ definitely were on the list, more than once… in fact I dedicated at least two pages to these."

EJ tightened his hold on her breast, thumb scrapping across the top of her nipple, making it harden. Sami squirmed against him, loving the feel of his hands on her body.

"Two pages!" she laughingly gasped, "Just how long exactly _is_ this list of yours?!"

"I've been working on it since I first met you so it's pretty long," he conceded, straight faced.

"Since we first met!" exclaimed Sami rolling her eyes at him.

"Truth be told sweetheart I'd written the first three pages in between you coming and asking for that wrench and me asking for it back again," he told her, tongue in cheek.

"You're a crazy man," she told him in exasperation, shaking her head at all his carry on.

"Correction darling," he said, "I'm _your_ crazy man."

"Yes you are," murmured Sami sexily, wrapping her legs around his waist, "All mine."

He kissed her then and the kiss was raw and needy, the hunger between them never seeming to be satisfied no matter how many times they were together like this - it only seemed to grow.

"Love me…" said Sami when they finally broke apart again, her voice uneven as she looked up at him wide eyed.

"Is that a question or a request?" he murmured, eyes moving over her face adoringly, "Because the answer is yes."

"I don't want to hurt you," whispered Sami with quiet anxiety, her resolve to stop this from happening all but gone now.

"Then come here," he said softly and she resist him no longer, going willingly into his arms.

He was so ready for her, right away, before they'd even really started. The weeks of being close to her but then the frustration of his body's limitations taking it's toll on him and now he just needed to be inside her before he died from the wanting. He walked them backwards until they were at the steps that led down into the pool, kissing her heatedly the whole time. Sami groggily looked behind her, dazzled by his kisses.

"We… you want to get out of the pool?" she panted, confused.

"I want to feel how wet you are for me," he growled in her ear, "I can't do that here."

"EJ!" she shuddered, his sexy words ensuring he wasn't going to be disappointed with what he found.

Sami's legs felt rubbery as she climbed up the stairs and out of the pool and she worried about EJ's but she needn't have. He was right behind her, grabbing a towel and laying it on the ground before pulling her down on it and laying her out before his avid gaze. He moved over her, holding himself about her with his strong arms, water running from his naked torso and raining down on top of her.

"Can you come for me sweetheart?" he asked her throatily, licking his lips, his eyes as dark as the night skies above him, "Can you show me how you come for me?"

Sami bit her lip, the ache between her legs bursting into a painful throb and the wetness he craved flooded out of her. Still holding her gaze his hand found the apex of her thighs, slipping itself between the sensitive folds.

"Samantha," he rumbled, his voice so low that she felt it vibrate through her, shaking her to the core.

EJ closed his eyes briefly, feeling the dampness of her sex under his hand and knowing it was for him. His member swelled painfully, craving it's place inside of her. Instead he pushed two fingers into her and she whimpered her pleasure. He began to move them in and out, crooking them as he did so that they could find that pleasure spot that drove her so wild. Sami moaned and arched her back, clamping around his fingers, helping him in his endeavours. Her pale skin gleamed in the moonlight, body flushing as her excitement grew.

"Yes sweetheart," he encouraged her, his voice rough from his own want but he couldn't bare to take his eyes of her when she was like this, "Keep going, you can do it, come for me beautiful girl!"

Sami moaned loudly, her body starting to ride his fingers harder, desperate to give him what he was asking for, needing to find her release as much as he wanted her to. He deepened his thrusts abruptly and she couldn't take it anymore, exploding around him much to his delight. EJ watched her face twist into an expression of pained enjoyment and could wait no longer. She was still orgasming when he entered her, mounting her in one powerful thrust that made them both gasp.

It was one of his most favourite things to make her come before he allowed himself the joy of being inside of her. It always made her body so hot and tight for him, intensifying that first foray into her body unbelievably. Sami blinked rapidly, trying to recover her senses but he was making it impossible for her with the way he was driving himself so fiercely into her over and over. It was excruciatingly good and despite the orgasm she just had her body immediately began to prepare for another, meeting each of his thrusts just as wildly as he was giving them. EJ was moaning so loudly now that she wanted to tease _him_ about the neighbours now but she had more pressing things on her mind, like the latest orgasm that was starting to rip through her.

"E… EJ!" she gasped, her eyes wide.

EJ felt her begin to clench wildly around him and he couldn't take it any longer. He violently thrust a few more times into her and then gave a howl of release as his body emptied itself into hers, feeling her milking him continuously as he did. Just when he thought he was done Sami grabbed his backside and drove him deeper into her and he came again, not knowing where he was finding the strength from.

It took a long time for either of them to be able to catch their breath again, their ragged breathing the only sound in the quiet of the night. EJ's muscles felt like jelly and it was all he could do to keep the bulk of his weight off Sami so he wouldn't crush her. He looked down at her, her face aglow from their lovemaking, damp hair spread out around her face and shook his head in a quiet despair at how much he loved this woman.

"Love me…" he said achingly.

"Is that a question or a request?" she asked him softly, her eyes alive with the force of her feelings for this man, "… because either way the answer is yes."


	19. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

The man walked down the long corridor, his footsteps echoing noisily in the quiet. The ceilings of the old house were high with large, expensive looking works of art hanging off the oppressively decorated walls. It made a person feel small and inconsequential which the man assumed was the point - to intimidate. The house smelt of disuse, all dust and stale air. He turned to his left and walked into what was probably meant to be a sitting room but it was hard to tell how it was decorated because white sheets were draped over every available surface.

The room was poorly lit, only a lamp over to his right illuminated and the man squinted in the dimness, trying to make out his surroundings. A slight movement beside the fire place caught his eye and he tried to look through the gloom to see what it was. The darkness seemed to be moving a little and he took another step closer, trying to see more clearly.

The shadow spoke then, limping out into the muted light and leaning heavily on his cane as he did.

"Well Lucas Horton," said the older man, his Italian accent ever evident, "It seems it's not only politics that makes for strange bedfellows eh?"

Lucas looked back at the patriarch of the DiMera clan and grimaced, wondering bitterly to himself exactly how it was that he'd ended up here.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE****:** Thanks for reading the first instalment in my "Patience is a Virtue..." series guys.

I hope you enjoyed it and just to let you know this is only the beginning of the story. The next in the series is "Every Cloud..." and it takes up where this leaves off. EJ and Sami are heading for some hard times ahead and they will be tested hugely in the next story. Evil machinations are afoot and a terrible event causes huge upheaval in the family. Uncle John comes into his own in the next story – a man who seems to have an answer for everything which usually invites more questions. LOL The DiMera/Evans/Black household really starts to bond and pull together as a family which promises a few laughs amongst the high drama of it all.

So hope you'll join me for all of that and so much more... you'll laugh, you'll cry, it will change your life... I promise. ;)


End file.
